5:7 and 5:8 Uncertainty: Dempsey and Makepeace
by haveunotthought
Summary: What will the future look like? Are either Dempsey or Makepeace prepared for the changes ahead?
1. Chapter 1

Spikings beckoned Harry to follow him through. He'd had to wait several days for this opportunity to catch her on her own "You do realise that Dempsey isn't eligible…" he began

"The application was for myself" Harry clipped, she'd wondered when Spikings would address her request

"If" Spikings stopped himself - there was no if about it "when you get this promotion your working relationship…"

Defiant Makepeace launched into her prepared speech "I joined the force as a career"

Spikings made to continue but Makepeace cut him off "My promotion to Sergeant was within 18 months"

"And thoroughly deserved" Spikings commended, he decided to try and change tack to the light hearted version "Does Dempsey know he's going to marry the next Commissioner?"

His question drew Harry up short "I wasn't aware….You're not meant to know…."

"Officially I know nothing" Spikings low and measured voice did not prepare Harry for the explosion that was to follow "But Sergeant if you think I don't know everything that is going on in my unit, that I didn't come away from the farce that you two created in Paris at least satisfied that the end had justified the means" he snatched the application form off the table and waved it around "Dempsey can't come up in front of the board for at least two years"

"I can't waste any more time" Harry yelled back in frustration "And as things stand we can't get married…."

Spikings threw his eyes towards the outer office and Harry stopped short, hanging her shoulders she whimpered "We can't get married and carry on can we?" The realism that she had considered from every angle possible over the past week bore through her question "even you can't pull that many strings can you Sir?"

"When I paired you with him I had no idea… O Christ" Spikings had no idea what to say "You and Dempsey are the best team I've ever had work for me" he passed Makepeace the paperwork "There's a section in there to list referees I suggest you use Dempsey"

…..

"We have to talk about the future" Harry had spent that last twenty minutes trying to say those words, ever since she and James had thrown their one case into the boot and started towards Kent

"What about it - you and me - I thought that was the plan"

"You do realise they'll never let us work together" Harry was twisting her fingers nervously

"Spikings will fix it"

"I'm not so sure that he can"

"Sure he can, he'll fix anything….. What's with the paperwork?"

Harry coloured, she'd had the envelope for nigh on a fortnight and not known how to raise the subject; she watched Dempsey ease onto the M2

"It's an application for my inspector exams"

"Inspector" Dempsey echoed, initially unsure of why she was being so coy he laughed "Can't you just do the commissioner ones?"

She knew he didn't get it; she turned to look out of the passenger window

She had buried her head in the sand for the past few weeks. The 'now' she enjoyed; she liked her work, the buzz of undercover - her and Dempsey working the scenarios, arguing about paperwork, putting two and two together and coming up with five giving them some inspirational arrests. And then they just had fun outside of work - he would tease her or tell preposterous stories, they'd enjoy a night out, he would tell her how much he loved her - it seemed that having said it once the flood gates had opened and she?

Harry watched the green fields pass by, her contemplations halted at the same point, as if there was an invisible barrier. Yes she loved him -not only was he passionate about his work but about her, he loved life and he made her laugh and she loved just being with him – she loved his presence there in her life. The trouble was there was the 'now' and then there was 'the future'; it wasn't that she didn't want the future with him - good grief she had been like a giggly school girl before Paris being persuaded (correctly as it turned out) that this would be 'it' by Angela but she hadn't really thought the future through and neither, it was perfectly obvious, had he.

The spring flowers along the roadside sped past, the trees were greening up and the countryside was looking forward to a new year but the car now felt decidedly chilly; Dempsey had worked something out.

"Inspector? where? SI10?"

"I don't know, I've not thought about that - I don't know if I'll pass the exams"

"How can you not think about that" Dempsey demanded

"How can you not think about our future" Harry countered echoing back his anger

"We work together now I don't see no difference"

"Well for one we can't get married and pretend we're not even together; At the very least I want to invite SI10 to our wedding"

"Oh so you still want to get married" he checked allowing a bitterness to taint his words

"Why wouldn't I?" Harry had asked the question of herself enough times recently

Dempsey shrugged "you ain't making it very obvious"

"I have fought to get into SI10, to work undercover, to have a firearms licence, to get Spikings to put me out there" she paused to check his face, he wasn't happy "I'm a career woman"

"But we're a team"

"Face it Dempsey"

"So you thought you'd go off and become an Inspector"

"Well that's the next step"

"Pardon me but I would have thought talking to me would be the next step"

"Like we've had the time?"

"You cut me out again"

"I make my own decisions"

"Well let me give you another one to make" as they came to the end of the M2 he turned left

"That's towards Faversham" Harry observed acutely

"Nearest train station" he replied curtly "I'll get the train back to London"

"But you're expected in the morning"

"Not much point if I'm not going to be there soon anyway" he pulled into the station and as he parked turned to look at her "You decide"

Harry looked shocked, she felt more stung and even more riled "fine" was all she said as he left the car. She didn't wait to watch him walk into the station but hitched herself across into the drivers seat and spun off.

Dempsey was last to leave the train. The past hour and five minutes had provided him with ample time ask the same question over and over again. It had provided no time at all to decide on an answer. What shape would life in the future take?

Would he always work in SI10? Promotion? Well whilst he'd turned down the offer back in New York ostensibly because of it's location on the wrong side of the pond he hadn't wanted ever to be in a position where he was forced to comply with pedantic rules and regulations. Harry? Now that was more of her scene somehow she managed to work within the straight jackets and still come up with the answers. She was good at that, she was a good cop - a very good cop and was obviously made to fly to the top.

He walked the length of the platform, unable to make any decisions.

Harry had just about accepted the conclusion that she had chosen the wrong station. Trains alternated between St Pancreas and Victoria. She had plumped for the northern station and driven like a bat out of hell praying that her camacarzy driving would be countersigned by SI 10. She had radioed in to say she was on a job and asked for clearance and then hung up before anyone could question her. Her mind had been totally occupied by her driving and only in the last 8 minutes since parking had she had any spare capacity to consider the wisdom or otherwise of her actions.

Dempsey, hands shoved in pockets, meandered aimlessly through the gateway.

You need a lift anywhere?" Harry's deadpan voice surprised Dempsey. Given that he had no thoughts he realised that he had not expected to see her here, he was pleased to see her though.

"Depends if you're going in the same direction" he kept the same pokerfaced level of expression

"Canterbury" she replied trying to keep emotionless and turned to walk out leaving him with the decision.

Outside Dempsey veered right towards the driver door but Harry shook her head "I offered you a lift" she remonstrated

"You ain't gonna drive like you must have to get here?" James checked

"You have a seat belt - use it" she instructed him as she dived into the London traffic


	2. Chapter 2

"Another one?" Spikings looked at the phone in disgust

"I'm sorry Sir" Chas told his boss "but bomb squad are getting tetchy"

"Tetchy! I'm tetchy Chas – Mrs Spikings has been on at me for months about making sure I'm here for her Towns Women's Guild presentation"

Chas coughed unsure of what response Spikings was hoping for

"Is there definitely a device?" Spikings barked trying to weigh up the two options – would it be the pleasure from having to miss the blessed presentation or the hell such a heinous crime would draw from Mrs Spikings

"Under a white mini, parked directly in front of the entrance"

"Damn them – look send Harry – she'll calm everything down – just keep Dempsey away from the bomb squad else they might just put him in the car and blow it up.

"I thought she was in Kent Sir"

"She was driving that car of hers through Covent Garden and Grays Inn like a Nigel Mansell not more than an hour ago – I had the bloody traffic control onto me three times before I left."

"Sounds more like Dempsey to me Sir"

"Look if you can't get Harry then send Mac and Tony Deary" he took breath a moment "Tell the Commissioner if he wants SI10 to take over the investigation then we'll do this our way"

...

Lord Winfield welcomed the pair with arms opened wide "Little Jimmy Wainwright has collared everyone he's met about baseball practice." He began with open relief "and the boys in the stables tell me they've have had him round every night after school." Freddy patted his daughters elbow and walked with her through the grand hall.

"Oh I'm sorry Freddy" She glanced across to Dempsey "I'm sure James can tell them to leave you in peace."

"Oh no don't get me wrong I rather like it actually" Freddy turned towards Dempsey and smiled broadly "reminds me of when you were young and the place had your friends tearing around. I was just getting worried about the young chap being disappointed when you weren't here." They reached the drawing room.

"That was my fault" Dempsey volunteered

"Work situation" Harry cut in

"Top secret" Freddy presumed with a beautiful naivety and a single finger knowingly (and rather mistakenly) tapped on his forehead.

Susan came rushing through "Lady Harriet, Mr James" she still curtsied "I just heard that you've arrived" she was breathless "- do you want a late supper"

"Oh thank you Susan that's ..."

Dempsey cut in afraid that Harry was about to cancel any food "you got any of your game pie Sue?"

"Made one special" she told him proudly "and I've got some pastrami 'n I made some 'rye bread" she announced with a proud grin.

Harry noted the pleasure in the cooks eyes that was derived from knowing what she had prepared would be appreciated and with that dawned the realisation that unbeknown to her James had become part of the fabric of Winfield hall. She hadn't honestly considered the impact that his rehab period after finally being released from the French hospital would have had. As if to confirm the fact Dakin came through with the drinks "Mr Dempsey –Chivas Regal on the rocks" he observed as he passed the cut glass tumbler to Dempsey and a vodka martini to Harry

"I told you it's Jim, call me Jim" Dempsey admonished him light heartedly.

Harry returned her attention to the cook "You've been busy"

"I'll put together a nice bit of salad ma'am" Susan smiled knowing just what suited Lady Harriet as well.

"I don't suppose" Harry hesitated unsure about revealing her recent bedtime habit that she had also tried her utmost to keep hidden from Dempsey but the contrast of textures and sweet and savoury was tantalising her at present "You have any peanut butter?" she whispered well out of earshot to James

In a very typical Dempsey and Makepeace way both Harry and James shelved the issue of promotion and the future to be dealt with in the future and reverted to enjoying the immediate which now they had eaten included sharing the huge cast iron bath tub under the pretext of relaxing away the tensions of the journey .

...

Mac paced around for two hours getting chilled through to the bone. Tony had volunteered to take statements from staff inside the clinic and left him to wait whilst the bomb squad brawn danced around the car debating which wire to cut. Mac knew he should keep his mouth shut but the inordinate time they were taking had driven him beyond distraction "I was told you always cut the longest wire" he said wistfully

"And you would trust life to such information" The sarcastic sneer called out from under the car

"Depends who gives it" Mac retorted

"Well nothing beats 3 years specialist training" the squaddy seared back

"You know we might all warm up if this things goes up" Mac taunted

"'Bout time you lot actually caught the screwed up sods who keep making this shit" the other guy brokered before nodding to his colleague "let's go with the longer wire"

Barely thirty seconds later they tossed the diffused package to Mac with a parting that consisted of 5 words of which 4 were unrepeatable.

"SI10 are taking this over from terror squad" Mac called out to their backs

The shorter of the two bomb squaddies turned on the spot "SI10 eh?"

"Yeh" Mac smiled slightly unsure why his comment had drawn such a threatening response "Seems terror got terrified when they got a real bomb"

"Well the illustrious SI10" somehow his Scottish accent had become thicker Mac noted "won't be needing us" he paused for effect and noted the uncertainty flicker all over Macs bemused face "You've got that yank who always cuts the longer wire" he mocked and Mac knew that there was history he would have to check up on back at the office.

...

Next morning Susan greeted the beleaguered pair who had dragged themselves out of bed at a disgustingly early time for a Saturday morning where no work was involved. "Joe McAnelly had some peanut butter – he's just dropped it in ma'am"

"Oh that's very sweet of him" Harry observed as she began to cover her toast. She spread the peanut butter and scanned the table; Dempsey was tucking into scrambled eggs, bacon and toast and flicking through back pages of yesterday's New York Times and reading out the scores of various football games.

"Are they baseball teams Mr Dempsey?" The cook asked as she spotted his empty coffee cup and poured him another

"No these are football, American Football" Dempsey began

Noting Susan's uncertainty Harry jumped in with her own explanation "over egotised, over dressed men who wouldn't be brave enough to play a real rugby match"

Dempsey grinned "You telling me that all that pumping testosterone don't do it for you?"

"Why men think they need bigger shoulder pads than Dallas" Harry began

"Oooo I watch that" Susan began

"Typical of Americans to use oversized everything" Harry commented "they don't seem to have heard of the term moderation"

"Sue Ellen – she looks stunning.." the cook paused suddenly unsure if she'd over stepped her mark or not

"Linda Gray" Dempsey through out as he took another mouthful of his breakfast "she looks more beautiful in real life"

Susan had served a good number of British minor royals and even a few more famous but major TV stars held an air of awe and romance and her interest was shining forth as she asked "Have you met her?"

"A few years back" Dempsey suddenly felt the need to be coy, he looked across to Harry who rolled her eyes causing him to wince but she still dropped him in it "Dinner was it?"

Dempsey's grin told her he was not going to rise to her bait; it broadened more as he watched her spread the jam over the peanut butter to the bemusement of poor Susan.

"You want to watch out Makepeace you're picking up American habits there" he teased.

Two gulps of coffee later Dempsey stood "Well excuse me ladies" he announced "I think I'd better go and prepare for the great American game to take a foothold in Kent"

"My nephew Ashley is coming to do that baseball thing – he's real excited" Susan smiled before adding "What exactly is baseball?"

"Oversized rounders" Harry piped in

"Rounders? Well what's with the head gear and big gloves?" she couldn't help asking

"The Yanks oversize everything Susan" Harry teased as she reached for a second slice of toast.

"Some things are better bigger" Dempsey whispered into Harrys ear as he left causing a faint blush to rise.


	3. Chapter 3

"I don't see why we have to go back to London" Dempsey protested

"Spikings" Harry clipped "wants everyone in to review all the files from Terror Squad"

"This has been going on for weeks; I don't see why we couldn't do that on Monday"

"The first 48 hours are the most important" Harry parroted out

"My point exactly" Dempsey grumped before falling silent

.

"Remind me again what it's supposed to be about?" Dempsey chuntered as they hit the central London streets

"There was another bomb threat outside an abortion clinic in North London; you remember that there were two last month and one about 4 months ago"

"Yeh but I thought the green boys were dealing with that"

"It seems that upstairs are getting impatient and Gordon is on trial yet again"

"I don't know why they always have it in for the chief" Dempsey genuinely mused

"Really Dempsey?" Harry challenged

"Come on Makepeace we've solved plenty of crimes"

"Unconventional doesn't go unnoticed" Harry observed knowingly

"It's results that count" Dempsey defended himself

"How you do it matters"

"Not if you have to follow petty rules and so called regulations"

"They're there for a reason" Harry justified

"Well I ain't ever see a good one yet commissioner"

"O god" Harry suddenly recalled "Spikings knows you know"

"Sure he knows" Dempsey said

"That we're going to get married?" Harry's voice was surprisingly high pitched

"He ain't so stupid" you know "Gordon's one of the good guys" Dempsey observed grinning at his lovers obvious embarrassment "Now I suggest we park up and go catch ourselves so scum"

.

Spikings' derisive greeting "Ah Bonny and Clyde" drew protest from Dempsey "Hey I object to that one"

"I object to the fact that I called you in this morning and it is now time for afternoon tea" Spikings was frustrated by how his duo paid scant regard to his directions "would you like cucumber sandwiches or scones with cream?" he disparaged

"How about both – we didn't get chance for lunch" Dempsey scowled

"I sent a message this morning" Spikings continued in the same tone addressing himself towards Harry now "I know your fathers place was built in the dark ages but I thought it had amenities now"

"Uh Dempsey had a prior engagement that he felt obliged to honour" Harry put on her patronising voice designed to sweeten Spikings and extricate herself from his wrath

"Yeh we was talking strike zones, pull hitters and pitch puts – oh and not forgetin' grounders and hit and runs"

"Well the rest of us hit the ground running when the sun was still rising" Spikings berated him

"What would you like us to look at Sir?" Harry cut back in again lacing her voice with even more sugar

"Can you look through all the statements Tony took last night – see if you can find some straw we can clutch on" Spikings passed the folder to Harry before picking up the remains of the explosive device and passing it to Dempsey "I want you to tell me who made it and why"

"Some nunce who thinks they can blow up people"

"As opposed to some nunce that shoots people"

"Now that ain't fair"

"Perhaps I should put a bomb under you" Spikings huffed then rubbed his head knowing that this wasn't the best way to get work out of Dempsey "I want to know what level of understanding these numskulls have about bomb making, where they would have got their materials from and what that tells us about where to look for them"

.

Harry read through the statements Tony had taken. The protesters had taken up place about 15 days ago and handed out leaflets to everyone going in and out of the clinic. They had been quite abusive to women going in and several had said they would choose to attend a different clinic if they couldn't be protected from the hassle and business had started to drop off so the management had requested the police move the protesters on and it seemed that this had prompted the bomb threat.

"Is this the same M.O. as the other clinics in past few months?" Harry asked rhetorically as she picked up and started on the files from the earlier attacks investigated by the terror squad "God they didn't look at very much. There are interviews about the day of the bomb threat and whether people noticed the car but not a lot about prior weeks" she observed reading sheet after sheet. "Someone needs to re interview the staff from the earlier clinics especially looking for any identifying features"

Tony agreed "the people I spoke to at the clinic said there were people handing out literature to women going in and out of the clinic and they threatened staff by following them back to their cars at night shouting murderer at them"

"Any idea where these people were from - were they local accents?" asked Mac

"There were comments on them not being from around here" Harry referred back to the notes

"Sounded like Paul McCartney" Tony expanded

"Liverpool" Mac suggested and Dempsey's mimic was hilariously awful

Liverpool kinda makes sense Dempsey offered when the laughter died down

"What have you got then Dempsey?" Harry asked across her desk

"Just doing a jigsaw with out a picture or all the pieces" Dempsey said "these bits of paper used as padding have been cut from old marvel comics"

"Well I guess that means they live near a news agent then - really narrows our options" Harry retorted dryly

"No these pictures look rather special to me." Dempsey held up 3 strips of paper showing about half a space ship "this one here this was a special promotion when I was kid. This wouldn't have been on sale over here"

"Hey is that the silver surfer?" Mac asked as he looked at some of the other scraps and ferreting around he also noted "and Spiderman as well - I used to pretend to be climb the walls like him"

"Me too" Dave had crossed the room and was now flaying out Dempseys stacks of images

"I was batman" Fry volunteered "What about you Harry?"

"Hardly" she sneered walking over to the coffee percolator

"I ripped my shirt being the Incredible Hulk" Mac laughed "my mum went mad"

"Her Majesty pays your wages because she assumes that her police force occasionally does some work" Spikings had emerged from his inner sanctum intending to send everyone home; his dulcet tone and mild sarcasm harvested no repentance and so he turned to attack "Dempsey have you got any useful information for me?" He placed a heavy emphasis on the term useful "about the actual bomb components?" he raised his eyebrows meaningfully

Dempsey picked up various parts "Well you see how these resistors are grouped together that's because they didn't have access to some bigger ones so they're doing this on a budget and these bits of circuit board are scraps from an old radio" he put the wires down and picked up the pictures "and these link back to America" he insisted

"So we're looking for a yank who can cobble bits of radio and old resistors together into a bomb" Spikings summarised

"Yeh" Dempsey agreed

"Lieutenant Dempsey you're under arrest" Mac joked

"Haha - not so funny" Dempsey retorted

"What do you suggest?" asked Spikings

"That we send Harry out undercover on Monday see who's hanging around…."


	4. Chapter 4

"It's funny that they're targeting the cheap back street clinics and not the smart clinics" Harry observed as she watched Dempsey layout the next wodge of torn up marvel comics they had collected from bomb squad on their way home. (Not that the bomb squad had readily passed the material over and Harry had all but promised a date to the over confident keeper of evidence.) As Dempsey sorted the fading images into categories she continued to muse "there are just as many upperclass and middleclass women who cant afford an unplanned pregnancy"

"Unplanned baby" Dempsey corrected

"Same thing" Harry said as she picked up a few pieces and turned them trying to work out an orientation

"No it ain't" Dempsey lifted the pieces from her hands "pregnancy doesn't convey the same thing at all -just an inconvenience like a cold" he distributed the scraps and picked up some more "sounds like you all you need to do is take a pill and you'll get better - _baby_ tells the real story" he continued to concentrate on his task

"No" Harry objected "people have plans and careers and slip-ups happen" she had a second attempt at some of the unsorted pictures "you can't destroy a whole career for a failure of procedure or when the pill fails to work"

"So it's always a woman's right?" Dempsey looked up

"It's her body and her life you don't get a guy hanging around saying I'll toss my life down the pan" Harry flustered not making sense of the task she was attempting

"Is that what you think Harry?"

"It's a valid argument Dempsey"

"Don't sound very nice to me" Dempsey took the images out of her hands again and deftly allocated them to piles

"Life is hard Dempsey" Harry sat back

"Yeh but you're meant to get a chance to live it"

"So you think these bombers are right?"

"I never said that" Dempsey brushed his hair back off his forehead "I'm just putting the other side of the argument up there"

"There are times I see it but there are times I don't" Harry admitted "I don't think it's all black and white"

"Me neither Tinkerbell but I don't think any scum have the right to blow people up" Dempsey pushed his task aside and stood up "What food have we got?"

"This is your place – very little I suspect"

"What about that peanut butter you bought me?"

"We need proper food" Harry panicked not wanting to disclose the very nearly empty state of that jar and the similarly exhausted supply of jam

"Let's call for a Chinese and watch a film" he suggested "we ain't even meant to be working this weekend"

.

.

Harry came back from the Locker room dressed in a short mini skirt, blouse knotted at her midriff and her hair pulled up. She had over done the make up and put on some cheap high healed shoes to complete the look.

"Why the hell they couldn't target some decent clinics…" she complained

"You'd make a good hooker Harry" Mac observed

"Well let's hope I'm more successful this afternoon" Harry wished "At least I'll be well informed on the price of an abortion and the places to avoid" she wandered across the office and looked outside "finally it's stopped raining" she noted

"I love that swing of your hips" Dempsey taunted "you should do that more"

"You'd like that" Harry agreed dryly

"Looks damn sexy" Dempsey shrugged his shoulders and smiled as Harry walked back towards him, her feet crossing the midline as she deliberately over exaggerated her steps.

"I need some gum" she asked in her broad faked accent holding out her hand and Dempsey passed a packet to her. Harry slipped one strip from the pack and placed the rest on the desk. Dempsey's gaze had been fixed on Makepeace and now she returned and held it; their eyes locked as she slipped the white outer layer off and then even more slowly and deliberately in three moves she peeled down the silver sheath to expose the stick. She licked her lips and formed her mouth into an O around the still stiff gum. Checking that she held Dempsey's attention she pulled the gum back out and ran her fingers up and back down the gum strip before pushing it fully into her mouth, folding it with her tongue and macerating it into a ball

"Ouch" Dempsey grimaced "that last bit was painful"

"Out of my way" Harry pushed the encroaching Lieutenant backwards "I have a date with destiny"

"Sure wish I was destiny" Mac said and Harry's heart and stomach both plummeted into her feet as she realised that her tease had just been observed by the whole office. Mortified she turned and fled, the glow from her face reflecting off of every surface.

Dempsey winked at Mac and as the office door shut he spoke "She's a pretty hot looking babe"

"You work with her and keep a normal blood pressure?" Mac queried

"I've taken pills ever since" Dempsey blatantly lied as he too exited the office

"I should have joined this department sooner" Mac decided

"It's not normal you know" Tony announced

"What's not?" inquired Mac

"The way they spend all their time together"

"What's not normal about that?" asked Fry

"Well my girlfriend would get jealous if I spent so long with another woman" Tony justified

"You think Dempsey has a woman?" came the question across the room

"Yeh Dave says he has"

"Maybe its Makepeace" suggested Mac

"Nah they're like two opposites"

"They say opposites attract"

"If those two lived together London would erupt in a huge explosion!" Tony laughed "haven't you seen enough of their arguments?"

"I've never seen them stay fallen out for long" Mac insinuated "what about that display just now?"

"They fake stuff all the time" Fry explained

Chas walked back in and handed out a file to each person there "All the cars were stolen locally within hours of them showing up rigged" Chas announced

"All minis" Fry added flicking through the pages

Tony sounded surprised "Why minis?"

"It's easier to plant the stuff on a car frame you know" Mac suggested

.

.

All four clinics on Makepeace's afternoon list were within a stones throw of each other and Harry tottered from one clinic to the other with little luck. The first two clinics had already been targeted and there were no longer any protesters outside. The staff conceded that their figures were down but refused to offer Harry any discount to get business. The third simply asked her to fill in her details and come back on Tuesday morning when the doctor was here to 'do all the girls'.

It was as Harry left that a rather plump woman with flat mousy hair and no makeup approached her. 'Did she know there was another option?'

"Another option?" Harry asked in her cockney accent "what? are you going to have the bleeder for me?"

"If you preserve the life within you then god will bless you" the woman promised

"Well someone will bleeding have to if I can't get no work"

"My name is Myriam let me buy you a cup of tea and tell you some truths" the woman said

"You can buy me something to eat I'm bloody starving" Harry continued in role

"Yes, you see" Myriam was overexcited "that's part of being pregnant"

"And part of not eating anything for two bleeding days"

"The sickness will go soon it's only whilst your body adjusts" the woman was leaning over like a leech

"Well the sooner I'm rid of this the sooner it will be right then won't it?"

"No no dear it won't be right - your body will be in shock craving even more the things you want" Myriam gushed and Harry wondered how long she would have to bear this woman "you are craving foods aren't you?" she asked

"Peanut butter and jelly" Harry conceded before she even realized she had replied. As the words left her mouth a niggle began to squirm around her mind as the woman droned on "you see your body wants to nourish the life inside"

Makepeace banished the random thought "Poppycock! look are you gonna buy me this cup of tea else I've got things to be doing"

"Two teas" Myriam called over to the waitress and she looked back to Harry to add her food request; the truth was Harry wasn't hungry - well not for anything covered in grease "just forget it" she said

"We'll go for a bacon roll" Myriam took charge

"I said I wasn't hungry" Harry protested

"That life inside you" the woman patronised

"It ain't no life it's a bunch of cells thats about to stop me have a life" Makepeace was in full flow with the cockney accent

"No no"

"It's my body, my life

"That you sell" this was Myriams second line of grief on behalf of these girls

"Well it makes a living and gives me a roof over my head. Not a posh one like you would have..."

"You could bring a child into your life" Myriam smiled encouragingly

"No kid would want to be part of my life"

The woman pulled out a leaflet

"I can't read half them words" Harry protested

"Well let me tell you what it says" Makepeace's benefactor suggested and without waiting for an answer launched herself.

Harry listened: the foetus that listened to music, that knew its mothers voice, the silent scream... Harry threw in as many questions as she could and because the Myriam thought she was breaking through she imparted details about the organisation, the vision and the headquarters in Liverpool!

"Think about it - we can offer you support" Myriam promised "a haven to live in until the baby is born"

The bacon roll arrived but Harry could smell the grease, she wretched.

"Morning sickness will soon be gone too" Myriam assured Harry

"It ain't morning sickness at bleeding half past sodding two" Harry stood and making a vague promise to consider Myriam's offer but still refusing to give the woman any of her contact details she left.


	5. Chapter 5

"Wouldn't it be better to try and join the organisation?" Chas proposed.

.

Makepeace had finished writing up her report after everyone else had skived off to The Bramcote the previous evening. It had turned into a heavy session and James had rolled up at her home to be banished to the sofa where he had crashed out with surprisingly little protest. However this morning it was Harry who was heaving in the bathroom "It must have been that greasy spoon cafe that dreadful woman dragged me into" she protested a few moments later as she watched James make coffee

"You'd better watch what you eat" Dempsey suggested "you was sick the other morning after that tiramisu desert"

"That must have been the eggs" Harry surmised

"You want one?" he offered

Harry wrinkled her nose "I don't know - what I really want is to go back to bed, I've felt so tired these past few weeks"

"Sure?" Dempsey checked

"Yes" she said "Can you cover for me? I'll come in in a bit"

.

And so Dempsey and the team were debating amongst themselves their next moves.

"You can do that" Dave suggested to Tony

"I don't think men care about abortion clinics" Tony postulated

"Some obviously do - they've made bombs" Fry reasoned

"Are you saying the ladies don't make bombs?" Dempsey jumped in "cos if I were you I wouldn't let Harry hear you"

"Hear what?" Makepeace asked as she strode portentously into the huddle

"Fry was just saying how bomb making's a male prerogative" Dempsey played devils advocate

"As opposed to the female one of having an abortion" her tone was harsh and Dempsey winced

"What kept you?" he asked looking at his watch in an attempt to divert her attack but Harry deigned not to reply, rather she looked through the latest reports on her desk.

"The American bible belt" she postulated "they have strong beliefs on this sort of thing"

"Don't look at me Dempsey objected "I ain't from there"

"Well you're from America" Dave suggested

"It's a big place" Dempsey protested

Spikings emerged in his usual timely manor "Upstairs are very keen to know what we know" his dipped head flicked left and caught the gaze of Dempsey "Tell me" he smiled falsely "what we know about Liverpool"

"Back in the 60s the cargo used to come in from The States packed around old Marvel comics. They were rubbish out there but over here there was quite a Market for American stuff and the seamen sold the comics off for cigarette money"

"The woman I met yesterday" Harry butted in "told me that the operation was managed from Liverpool"

"Which would make sense" Dempsey reclaimed the floor "someone used to work on the ships"

"Or bought the comics" Harry countered

"Or bought the comics" Dempsey glared at Makepeace before continuing "and was looking around for padding and used his"

"Or hers" Harry cut back with a matching glare

"Used _HIS_" Dempsey emphasised and conceded nothing "old stock of comics for padding round the explosives"

"Sounds like we need a team in Liverpool" Spikings mooted "get the cat in amongst the pigeons" Spikings took a long slow circular view of his team, cursing the fact that he'd come to rely on Dempsey and Makepeace. He rubbed his head from front to back and held his hand there making circular motions

"Oh No I ain't going" Dempsey protested

Spikings smiled as if proud of himself, pointing from one to the other of his best duo and back again "you can be the couple from America who have come over to offer their support" he grinned devilishly "better make that married if you're from the bible bashing south"

A blush rose along Makepeace's neck line as it became her turn to object "I'm not sure about doing the couple thing"

"Ooo I think you two acting out will be just perfect." Spikings tone was so dry only the three of them knew all he meant.

As the chief disappeared back into his inner sanctum Dempsey seized the initiative and pulling Harry into himself caressed her backside and racked his hands up her body managing to catch an obvious enjoyment of her breasts before she pushed him back and very obviously contemplated whether that deserved a clip across his cheek before she thought better of it and just threatened "next time"

"Are you offering Sergeant?"

"I have a gun and I'm not afraid to use it Lieutenant" she seared

It had taken mere seconds but Tony, Dave, Fry and Mac all watched on agog and stood mesmerised until Chas who seemed to have missed the whole thing despite his close proximity handed them all a list of people known to Interpol and living in Liverpool.

.

"So Mr and Mrs Dempsey eh?" Mac wanted to test the waters

"What?" asked Dempsey taking his sheet of names from Chas

"When you're married"

"Not necessarily" Harry piped up as she too took her copy

Dempsey looked shocked "Why not?"

"We could be Mr and Mrs Makepeace" Harry pointed out

"Why would I want the name of your ex husband?"

"It's who I am" defiance radiated from Makepeace

"But it's not who you're gonna be" Dempsey argued fiercely

"You could be double barrelled" Dave suggested quite innocently

"Makepeace already is you couldn't be Makepeace-Dempsey" Tony disagreed

"Or Dempsey Makepeace" Fry contributed

"Why is it that couples take the guys name?" asked Dave

"Tradition" Tony and Dave were now in their own conversation

"Winfield then, I don't mind using that with Dempsey" Dempsey offered

"And have our kids suffer the taunts of whinnying and worse" Harry dismissed the idea instantly

"Well you haven't got any kids" Fry pointed out naively

"I suppose we might do…." Dempsey scrunched his face in contemplation - he quite liked that idea and a soft smile broke through

"Well it's immaterial" Mac said "you're only under cover for a week or so max"

Both Harry and James were brought back to the immediate with an embarrassed cough "Dempsey" Dempsey stipulated "Winfield is British name and we're yanks"

Spikings threw his door open again but was stopped in his tracks by Dempsey

"Chief we need to go pack"

"I want you in a modest hotel; you're over here for a week to offer your support" the two men stood off against each other

"I usually sort my own cover"

Spikings face darkened and he just continued with his edict "I want Mac as an independent staying in the same hotel and in a couple of days I'll send up Tony, Dave and anyone else necessary"

"You want me to play gooseberry?" Mac laughed

"I want you there for support – who knows if they" he thumbed towards the couple now huddled together "stop talking you might even have to have an affair"

Fry spluttered in astonishment

"Hey how about a drink to toast a good undercover" Tony suggested and everyone moved towards the door

"Dempsey you haven't got time for the pub if we're travelling up north this afternoon"

Dempsey flipped round wide eyed and stared at Harry; Tony and Dave fell about in laughter "You're married now mate - need permission from the wife" Tony scorned light heartedly

"Oooh under the thumb" Dave gestured

"Never "Dempsey defiantly picked up his jacket and walked out saying 'his was a pint of bitter and he was standing the round'.

.

Harry gave them half an hour whilst she booked the hotel, three train tickets and collected together the necessary paperwork and then conceding defeat she made her way to The Bramcote intending to make Dempsey pay in one way or another.

It was some petty debate ongoing when Harry pushed the pub door open

"Let's ask the misses" Dempsey grinned welcoming Harry across the room "Uh honey we were wondering…"

"No"

"You don't know what…."

"The answer is no"

"You might regret it" Dempsey sing songed

"I won't" Harry reassured him

"Aw Harry" he over exaggerated his puppy dog eyes

"Aw James" she flitted past Tony and Mac and sat on Dempsey's lap provocatively lifting one leg over the other as she crossed them and leaning in so he had to look down her cleavage "I want my hunny bunny to take me shopping" her American accent was deliberately girly and pathetic "I haven't had any new jewellery this week" she pawed his face "and I'm beginning to think that you've lost interest." Dempsey laughed nervously and she continued to faun all over him "I thought I could get a long pendant that hung low down here" she fingered her cleavage and for once Dempsey looked as if for once he was going to burst from embarrassment; the others burst out laughing

.

.

They sat slumped against each other on the intercity train and Mac looked on trying to put two and two together. He was almost certain he came up with right answer. He had watched Harry shuffle to get more comfortable and rather than move away or return to her original position, she seemed to snuggle into him. For his part Dempsey had let his arm fall into a hold around her waist. It seemed that they could feign anything whilst awake but sleep exposed their truth.

It was Dempsey as he woke that really gave the game away as far as Mac was concerned with the light but tender kiss on Harry's forehead as he gently extricated himself with an apology that needed a pee. As Dempsey stood Mac gave him a knowing smile

"Just practicing" James excused himself; he walked off with a broad smirk not really caring what Mac thought - so long as everyone kept up the pretence.


	6. Chapter 6

Mac needed to prove his detective credentials. As the new boy he had transferred from Major Crime in Bristol as a Sergeant but although he held a higher rank than Tony and Dave even Fry had more undercover experience than him - a moot point that he intended to resolve.  
The train journey had armed him with his first piece of ammunition and he had high hopes for good progress until Dempsey had insisted on different arrival times.  
Booking in some 20 minutes after Dempsey Mac spent time chatting to the receptionist, his wet hair and rain soaked coat gave him a vulnerability that never failed. After a good few minutes he drew the conversation around to how far people had travelled from and finally to the question of Americans. He was suitably impressed to discover a couple had booked in earlier and he 'bet they were stinking rich'. The girl laughed "not if they're staying here"

"Still I bet they have the best room" Mac probed

"With a four poster" she let slip

Mac was satisfied and went to his twin bedded room with a smile that said proof.

.

Dave laughed heartlessly when Mac rang in next morning to say Dempsey and Makepeace had shared a four poster bed. "We need more evidence than that mate: I remember them saying they book a suite so one of them can use the couch." Fry almost spoke out but thought better of it, he coughed back his words but Dave was on to him "wait Fry has something to add"

Fry swallowed hard and gulped "er nothing it's just if the cover is Mr and Mrs that's what they'll do"

"Good point" Tony conceded as Dave continued the phone conversation

Fry turned and explained to Tony "That's the thing I learnt off Dempsey – keeping in the role"

Spikings 6th sense drew him from his inner sanctum "have you got some information for me" he asked in his usual sardonic manner

"Um Mac is just checking in Guv"

"I don't want to know what he had for bloody breakfast I just want to know who is terrorising my streets " Spikings turned back into his office calling over his shoulder "tell him when he knows that I want to hear from him."

.

Harry and James meandered into the dining room just twenty minutes before service finished. At the squeak of the door Mac glanced up and noticed the tail end of Harry objecting and giggling at the same time; she gave Dempsey a playful push as they landed full square into the dining room.

Dempsey took in the sparsely populated area and spotted Mac reading a red top. He led Harry to a table within chatting distance of Mac. "Morning" he said as they passed by

"Oh there you are" Mac seemed relieved "I've been down here for ages"

"So is the breakfast any good?" Dempsey asked casually

"Well I've had the works" Mac boasted happily somewhat surprised that Dempsey had wandered off and was now ordering Eggs Benedict to a bemused scouser. His over loud voice explained that a bagel would do if they didn't have a muffin and the bacon…

"We do bacon 'n eggs 'n sausage 'n all" the Liverpudlian lass piped up when she finally recognized a word she recognized in this strong accent

Dempsey exhaled long and slow "sure just make 'em easy over" he gave in and watched her ignore the request and pile the remnant of a congealed 'full English' onto a plate

Harry selected a croissant and coffee and returned to the table ignoring Mac

Mac folded his paper watching the performance buried in his own bemusement

"Do you mind if I borrow your paper?" Harry asked and Mac took several seconds to respond as he was floored by the heavy southern drawl

"'You been staying here long?" Dempsey asked convivially and Mac still looked at the pair as if they had landed on a distant planet

"Came last night" Mac sensed it wasn't right to add with you

"We have to build a friendship" Dempsey glared knowingly and hissed self-righteously "you know - undercover mate"

"Oh ok" the penny dropped "Where 'you from?" Mac asked with a loud clear voice deliberately hoping the waitress would hear

"Alabama USA"

"American Accent" Mac nodded sagely still wondering why Dempsey was exaggerating his own

"Brought my honey" Dempsey slipped his arm around Harry's waist and pulled her into the conversation "over to have a look around" he stroked her hand and Mac noted the repulsion on Harry's face "first time my baby's left home"

"We go to the beach in Florida Honey" Makepeace protested lightly

"I know Honey" Mac thought if there was any more sugary syrup flow from the two of them he'd drown in the sickly goo of their overt over affection

"Where do you suggest we go?" Harry addressed Mac sipping her coffee

"Oh I'm new here" Mac tried to back out "sent up by my company to do a bit of research"

"What kind?" Dempsey sounded more alert now

"On some rivals, they're messing things up a bit" Mac blagged

"Ah" Dempsey sounded knowledgeable, in fact he was impressed by the line – could have been one of his

"Um this place is famous for The Beatles" Mac proffered paddling furiously looking for some firm ground "- there's some houses and places you can go"

"We'll have to do that honey" Harry return the caress with a touch running down Dempsey's face which he appeared to take pleasure from

With his brain trying to process the touching interaction between his two main suspects Mac struggled to keep the conversation going "and there's a place called Paddy's Wigwam" he dredged from the depths of his recall

"Paddy's Wigwam?" now Dempsey showed genuine perplexion "Are you taking the piss?- We ain't Native Americans - that's Red Indians to you"

For as much as Dempsey was confused Harry was amused and fought to hide her entertainment "Is that a real place" she questioned

"It's a cathedral really" Mac explained "I've just heard that's what people call it"

"We could go there this afternoon" Harry suggested, her broad drawl emphasizing _there _and _noon_

"Sure Sweet Pea"

The combination of Dempsey's words and crawling touch along Harry's arm actually made Mac feel sick

"Say about three - before afternoon tea" Harry proposed with a large hint in her eyes and Mac cottoned on "Well I must be going" he stood "enjoy the paper and I hope you have a good tour round the sights"

Harry and James watched him go

"Always keep the cover" Dempsey muttered running his fingers through his hair "I told him that"

"Come on let's go and do a bit of touring of our own" Harry kept the accent but dropped the sickly fawning "see what wonderful locations abortion clinics are to be found in" she raised her brow to add more sarcasam and dropped the tabloid as if it were contaminated filth.

.

Mac seated himself to the left of the main catherdral entrance and actually enjoyed the view of sun lighting the stained glass. Somewhat bored he'd got there about two thirty so as not to miss the rendezvous. Three o'clock had come and passed and his attention had been drawn away, he now occupied himself by scoring the trickle of visitors and not until he had given Harry 8 did he register the presence of his partners. They were wandering in a loose but very comfortable hand hold. Dempsey whispered something in her ear, Mac decided it must have been about the central structure as Dempsey was pointing up with one finger. With Harrys gaze averted to the ceiling Dempsey lifted Harry, twisted her and stole a kiss on her lips which obviously raised some objection but obtuesly was followed by her giving him what was definately a genuine hug and a returned peck on the lips before she scanned the floor looking for their assignation.

Taking one of the radial aisles their exit route took them passed the back left of the round building

"Fancy seeing you here" Mac commented as he watched Dempsey and Makepeace walk past

"Oh Hi" Makepeace said loudly and broadly "have you had a successful day?"

"I came in here for a break and some inspiration, what about you how are the sights of Liverpool shaping up"

"We've had a ball haven't we honey?" And now the overt fawning was starting again

"So long as my beauty queen has enjoyed herself" Dempsey mirrored the touching and loud southern drawl

Mac looked around the other punters were all looking in tbeir direction, a few making a sush sign with fingers to lips.

Mac made the exit move "look if were going to keep bumping into one another let me buy you a coffee"

"Oh that's real sweet isn't it honey?"

"Sure is sweety pie"

The Café in Hope Street was quite run down but Harry called it 'quaint' and Dempsey asked if they did 'a long black'. Seeing the wide gaping mouth of the waitress Harry explained 'to put some hot water in and then a double espresso'

"Do mean Nescafe?" the poor girl asked

"Thank you mam" Harry drawled accepting the offer

It seemed to Mac that the pair were overtly loud and alternated with the touching and stroking of cheeks and hands "Just one thing" he mouthed as the waitress returned from plonking the cups down in front of them "can you cut back a bit it's making me quite nauseous"

Dempsey leaned quietly across the table "Always keep the role"

Mac seized the opportunity to tackle one of his more burning questions that he had pondered whilst the duo had slept on the train "nice ring Mrs Dempsey" he observed looking directly at Harry's left hand

"Call me Lou" Harry reached out and touched Mac's hand with her right hand before fingering the rings on her left hand "why thank you Adam".

The flick of gaze exchanged between Dempsey and Makepeace was miniscule but Mac noted it with satisfaction "Good enough to be real" Mac replied under his breath adding "Call me Mac, most of my friends do – Adam MacIntyre somehow got shortened to Mac when I was about 7 years old"

Harry raised her brow at Dempsey who took the hint "Well it was sure nice bumping into you Mac but me and my doll have got places to be" Once again as he guided Harry up from her seat by taking her hand Dempsey kissed Harry's knuckles; Mac shook his head and watched them go before sitting back down and ordering another coffee- this was going to be quite an adventure.


	7. Chapter 7

_Thank you for all your reviews, most of this chapter is a direct response to the reviews of the previous two chapters and would not exist without those prompts._

"Still no names" Harry complained as she kicked off her heels and threw herself back onto the bed "At least we've still got that public meeting tonight" she said as she stretched out

"So how we gonna play that one?" Dempsey asked as he sat down and pulled his loafers off one at a time

"We need to make sure that we're noticed"

"So we shout the anti abortion stuff and Mac can shout the pro abortion rubbish" Dempsey stood again and hung his jacket up

"It's not rubbish" Harry disputed

"I can call Mac a murderer" Dempsey continued

"You really don't think those women have any rights do you?"

"Don't matter what I believe Tinkerbell"

"It does to me Dempsey" Harry was propping herself up watching him move around the room collecting bits

"Well right now we're on a job" he said pointedly "If we shout Mac down that should draw some positive attention to us"

"I hope so Spikings will be getting restless" Harry mused

"We're working our butts off – what more does he want?" Dempsey riled

"Results" was the curt reply

"Now you're starting to sound like him" Dempsey stuffed everything into a holdall "I'm gonna meet Mac down the gym – you comin?"

Harry curled onto her side "I'll meet you down there" she said as she closed her eyes

Dempsey grunted – she'd said that the day before "Don't bother I'll wake you for dinner" he sulked

"Let's eat after" she suggested just before he left the room "that dinning room smells funny"

Dempsey turned back and looked at her agog "Well I never got sick" however he agreed that they could go to the Italian round the corner

.

'No Harry again' Mac noted in his head but Dempsey's mantra was making some impact and he waved across the gym "Jim" he greeted

"Mac" Dempsey replied loudly and in full southern drawl which Mac had come to expect anytime there were public around to hear him; thankfully when they had bumped into each other in the empty changing rooms yesterday he had dropped the dreadful accent. Mac couldn't see why they couldn't meet in one of their rooms, preferably the one with the four poster but anytime he had promised he'd be careful no one was looking Dempsey had uttered the recurring words 'keep in role'

Privately Mac cared just a little too little about the role and just a little too much about his own parallel investigation - there was a department wide bet still on and a bonus for the person delivering proof. He really wanted to see the room, its layout and how the two of them seemed to share the space.

Dempsey paused next to the treadmill and watched Mac jog "How's business?" he asked

"Slow, I can't find how my competitors are making their transactions" Mac dropped his pace "I made enquiries round the West Derby area today"

Dempsey shook his head and shrugged indicating he had no idea about the areas, 'in the role' Mac noted knowing full well that 1) Dempsey had exhibited a better understanding of Liverpool than himself and 2) him and Makepeace had passed that way en-route to at least two hours off at Croxteth Country Park.

When Dempsey had charged him to spend the previous night seeking out some prostitutes and court opinions of locations they would use for 'inconvenient accidents' and whether they had heard anything about either prolife campaigners or mysterious benefactors Dempsey had been quite specific about the streets to hang out in. He had been absolutely on target both in knowing where to find the women and also that that would render some useful information which he had shared with Harry, sorry Lou Dempsey, via a note secreted in The Daily Mirror over breakfast.

Mac had intended to follow that information up when he had found himself looking out from the upper deck of a number 18a bus noting his two colleagues alighting; he also noted their dismount and impulsively dropped his mission for one of a higher priority. Most of the afternoon he had spent on edge; there had been times when he had had to let his targets slip away and hope he would be lucky to pick them again and twice it had worked; with the third he had been forced to admit defeat. Harry and Jim were most definitely playing hooky as far as Mac was concerned – he watched them amble around the country park petrified they would spot him behind a tree or hedge but they had seemed caught up and bound in the pleasure of their own company.  
There had been none of that gross sycophantic touching; there hadn't even been kiss – in truth only intermittent hand holding and one short garden walk with his arm around her shoulder and hers around his waist but they most definitely (as far as he was concerned) had been together.  
Dave would certainly not accept his observations of unity: pointing, discussing, sharing views and moments, the comfortableness they had as they meandered together eating ice cream cornets, laughter and some playful chasing…. And Fry was on the same repeating record as Jim convincing one and all that if they doing the role then of course they would look like they were lovers. Tony had ventured to suggest they would need to catch the two together when they were not doing a role and Mac had rather thought they'd achieved that the other week at Jim's place with match of the day but the long serving members of SI10 remained unconvinced. By the time Mac returned to the hotel he had concluded there was married and there was together and these two were not necessarily the same but still he was going to need more.

Dempsey moved on and started with some weights, it was a move designed to goad Mac as Dempsey knew he could pump the greater amount of iron. Mac had little choice than choose some near by equipment if he wanted to continue their update.

"Do you like parks?" Dempsey asked loud enough for the two guys across the gym to hear "only I took my Lou to a beautiful one today - you should go if you get time"

Invisibly the weights Mac was pushing against suddenly multiplied expotentially and his legs were pinned down; shit they had seen him!

"Don't think I'll get much time for tourist attractions"

"No that's the sort of thing for married couples on holiday I guess" Dempsey mused loud and very southern

In fairness to his mate Dempsey hadn't spotted Mac until he and Harry had spent the best part of an hour in the rare sunshine. Harry had done her usual panic thing and then got cross with him for laughing in her face. He had wrapped his arm around her and argued that no one would be able to put two and two together because the role would cover them. Resigned to accept the argument at that level Harry admonished him for careless behaviour in the office and James had managed to vocalise just a little of his frustration at the stupidity of the situation.  
James had been all for giving Mac something to report back and the abhorrent reaction on Harrys face had made him laugh "come on" he pulled her towards him "you know they talk about us"

Harry pulled back "that's so wrong"

"Are you telling me when you get together with Angela and them lot..."

"That's different" she protested lamely before coming up with her defence "we don't place bets"

Dempsey teased her ear very lightly with his left hand finger tips and then took her hand in his other hand, rubbing his thumb across her knuckles "I love seeing that ring on your finger every day" he murmured moving her hair away from her neck and blowing very very gently before placing those butterfly kisses she so loved.  
Then there it was for Mac to make what he would - the two of them locked in each others embrace, their kiss lingering and longing but Mac fearful of discovery as he had watched them pull up abruptly was now several hundred yards away on a different path taking in a more serene view.

Both men switched apparatus and with no further mention of the day past the two briefly confirmed their plans for the evening and the line of action they hoped to pursue before Mac left Dempsey to complete his regime.

...

"Finally a result" Harry said with relief as they walked out into the night air

"Where's The Anchorage?" Dempsey asked

"Must be near the river"

"Oh I know we came across that place when me and Dave was up here before"

They hailed a cab which deposited them outside the restaurant of Harrys choice and the conversation continued as they made their way inside and found the same seclueded table they had used the first night.

"So Brite seems to be the ring leader but not the fundraiser" Makepeace surmised

"Well if we make sweet noises hopefully we'll scratch where he itches"

"Yuk you make it sound like he has something unmentionable"

"Put it this way Sweetheart I ain't gonna get up close"

They ordered

"You kept quite tonight" James observed

"Didn't need to say anything - you and Mac were holding forth, besides I think the Alabama men keep their women subdued"

"You want to try that Makepeace" Dempsey broke his own rule

"Out dated concept" Harry pointed out

"Mac did good" Dempsey rested his chin in his hand, elbow on the table recalling the evening debate but taking a greater pleasure in the view before him

"He had some good perceptions" Harry agreed

"Women's words - sounded like you coached him well" Dempsey scathed more than he intended

"What do you really think?" Harry probed yet again

"That we should eat"

They performed so the waiting staff would remember the loud Americans until coffee arrived, Dempsey looked around, they were still out of ear shot "So when did it happen?" he blurted out

"You're going to have to be a more specific there I'm afraid"

"Your abortion"

Harry sat back and searched the person sitting infront of her "I'm sorry?"

"I finally figured that's why you're pro rights"

"Anyone and everyone has rights Dempsey"

"And I'm asking you if you've exercised yours"

"I exercise my rights everyday"

"Like being a career woman, going for inspector 'n all"

"That's got nothing to do with it"

"Hasn't it"

"Look I joined the force as a career: that means I expect to move forward, I always have done"

"So you wanna be chief one day?"

"Why don't you?" she asked as if it was the most natural thing in the world

"No I just want to be a cop, a good cop. I want to be left alone to do my job and not have stupid rules and regulations thrown at me all day long" Dempsey stood and pulled his jacket on

"By your partner" Harry picked up her handbag

"I never said that" Dempsey tossed a £20 note at the waiter "Keep the change"

"But you thought it didn't you"

"Like you never thought working with me had held you back" Dempsey pulled the door open

"Well so many shootings and blatant disregard of the protocol probably won't help me" Harry marched through onto the street

"Unlike gettin' good results" Dempsey let the door slam behind him

"Ah Mr and Mrs Dempsey" Brite's car pulling up coincided beautifully "I hope you're not disagreeing about our little arrangement"


	8. Chapter 8

It was nearer to 2.00am when Dempsey crawled into the four poster and wrapped his cold body around the warm sleeping woman of his dreams. The result was less than satisfying; Harry grabbed more blanket and rolled away from him. She had been nonplussed when Dempsey had been drawn aside by Brite after the protest meeting closed; when she had wandered up and hung on Dempsey's arm asking 'if he was going to introduce her to his new friend' Brite had clamped up instantly. To his credit Dempsey had explained to his wife that 'the lord was telling him to give Mr Brite some funds to help out with the message' and Harry had dutifully agreed that 'it would be a fine thing to do' and also 'it would bring a real meaning to their trip to England'  
However when Brite had pulled up in the street it had been James who had suggested she 'left the lords work to the men' and although she had dutifully departed saying 'god would surely bless them both' Harry was furious with being cut out.

Dempsey's debrief to Chas was very one sided and Harry listened to the information being parted down the BT line. Jonathan Brite fronted a large prolife organization but Dempsey was certain he was the man behind the car bombs. Brite seemed very interested in the American campaigns and as a consequence of him pumping Dempsey Dempsey hadn't got much information out of Brite but he had promised him a substantial gift to the organization. Just before he hung up Dempsey reminded Chas that '"that means I'm gonna have to splash my cash"  
Chas said he'd arrange for £1000 to be made available, a fact that Dempsey barely heard under the loud protest from his partner that "_WE_ was the word he'd meant to use; _WE_ are going to have to splash _OUR_ cash"

"Not in the world of Alabama Honey" Dempsey had replied in full southern drawl "The women know their place in Alabama"

"Fine" Harry concluded and Dempsey knew all was but fine and took breakfast alone whilst Harry made some phone calls of her own.

* * *

"Hey this reminds me of when we came up here after those gun runners" It was lunch time, Dave was walking to the hotel with Mac; now they had a name to work on Dave was a work colleague with Mac and Watson was being set up as a bomb making expert. Tony had asked for the role but Dempsey had said Watson was better placed because of his forensic background. As they walked on Dave showed Mac the pubs that Dempsey had taken him too and started to regale him with stories of the women, none of which surprised Mac – women seemed to fall at his mate's feet even without him trying. They called in for a pint and Dave persuaded Mac to try the long looking whilst he offered to buy a couple of girls a drink, unfortunately they laughed and said 'they didn't like being stared at by a couple of perverts'

"Did it work back then?" Mac asked not really bothered about the failure

"Yeh I got this girl"

Mac raised his brow "how long ago?"

"Too far away to keep it up" Dave explained and as Mac's question pulled him out of his reverie he counted on his fingers "four / five months ago and Dempsey got some gorgeous brunette I remember"

They drank up and made their way to the hotel

"So Dempsey never kept in touch with his one either?" Mac reasoned

Dave shrugged "he had some girlfriend when he helped me buy Rachel some lingerie."

"When was that- up here?"

"No after Christmas, dunno – not that long ago" Dave approached the reception "And we was down in London, some shop in Bond Street!"

"Woah, pricey" Mac processed his theories against the information "You don't think it was for Makepeace do you?"

Dave looked shocked "No way!" and Mac was beginning to doubt his own theory

* * *

Brite arrived at the pre arranged time to met Dempsey and was sat reading the financial times when Mac and Dave booked in. Brite looked and listened; the London accent fitted with the appearance of one of the chief agitates of last nights meeting. His ponderings were interrupted by the loud, almost offensive, southern state accent of Jim Dempsey arriving back from the bank.

"They'll only let me have one thousand in day" he told Brite cheerfully "something about being over here and not over there"

"Let me look at it" Brite asked greedily and Dempsey opened the case just a little

Brite took out one wad of notes and flicked through, he randomly chose another and checked those also; he sat back happily

"Of course" the loud accent was more muted but still as broad as Dempsey leaned into Brite "Of course it can all be moved by bank transfer if you want it sooner" Dempsey noted the flare of greed – Brites nostrils and pupils momentarily enlarged and Dempsey knew he could play it as cool and disinterested as he wanted; Brite would impart those bank details without a doubt. And so Dempsey excused himself, returning to his room and wooing Harry round.

.

Brite kept hold of the briefcase suddenly realising that he had no idea of the combination. He crossed over to the reception "That gentleman who booked in…the one with the longer hair"

"Adam MacIntyre" the girl said as she clasped her hand over her mouth and Brite knew she would be easy

"Don't worry I wont say a thing" Brite reassured her "I can find out his name from the local paper – it will be in there tonight"

"Oh is he famous?" the receptionist asked wide eyed "I should get his autograph"

Brite smiled congenially "Does he know Mr Dempsey?"

"Mr Dempsey…" she contemplated the question and Brite thought she may need help

"The American I was sitting with just now"

"Gosh hasn't he got a loud voice" she noted

Again Brite smiled encouragingly "do they know each other?"

"Well Adam" she brushed her hair back of her face and Brite noted the attraction the girl had for Adam "seems to have a thing on Americans"

"What do you mean?"

"Well he asks all about them…" she tried to think of an example "when he first came he wanted me to let them see their room but I couldn't do that"

"Of course not"

"But he keeps asking if I think they're really married or if I've seen them kissing and…." A horrid thought crossed her mind "You don't think he fancies Mrs Dempsey do you?" she asked her confidant

"I'm sure it's just a way of getting to chat to you my dear" Brite smiled "After all who could like that awful American twang" he winked and the girl giggled and blushed

"Which one is their room incidentally?" he asked ever so casually

"Room 22" just slipped out and Brite was on his way.

* * *

Tony ran out of the SI10 offices and waved down the green VW Golf driven by Watson who thoughtfully stopped without knocking down the frantic DC. Watson wound down the window and Tony leaded in "You've got to find out from Makepeace about the rings she's wearing" Tony panted

"And I thought it was life or death" Watson commented

"It is mate" Tony reassured him "Come on you've got a bet on – I thought it was you that said you picked up Harry's dabs in Dempsey's bath

"I did" Watson protested but that was… what…" he calculated a moment "two years back?"

"Well Dave's been on the phone and Mac has these theories but Dave thinks he's wrong so we you to ask her"

"Tell them to ask them yourselves"

"They can't – the role means they're arch enemies now"

"Well in the pub later"

"Haven't you heard Dempsey – always in the role"

"You what?"

"He keeps in role 24/7"

"You mean him and Makepeace do it for work?" Watson was starting to get interested now

Tony shrugged "just find out about the rings can you?"

"I'll do my best" Watson promised "now I need to move cos Interpol have just put out an APB on me and I don't want to get caught"

Tony stood back and watched him go.

* * *

Harry opened the door "Why welcome Mr Brite" she stood back to let him in "It's sure good to see ya"

She turned to look at Dempsey and back to Brite "my Jimmy was just tellin' me about all the good works you' bin doin'" she stroked Dempsey's face "weren't you Honey"

"I'm sure Mr Brite..."

"Call me Jonathan" Brite charmed Makepeace as he studied her not very surreptitiously before returning his attention to Dempsey "You forgot to tell me the combination" he chided very lightly raising the briefcase in his hand.

Dempsey took the case "Of course if you give me the bank details I can have the whole lot put across" he said deftly dropping the case and passing Brite pen and paper.

Brite took in the room as he wrote; he rather thought he may have interrupted some lunch time shenanigans not that there was much to see other than some kicked off shoes and a bed cover that wasn't pristine. Like Adam, whom he suspected wasn't there just by chance, he would like to have access to the room without the occupants being there. Jim Dempsey he concluded wasn't straight however much he pretended to be so, and that made things easier – he would take his money and have a watch put on Adam MacIntyre.


	9. Chapter 9

The hotel restaurant had proved to be an easy place to exchange information even if Harry protested about the smell and at barely 6pm it was only occupied by the SI10 staff and one other. If Mac had been surprised when Dempsey had cut him off and called him an unspeakable murderer across the dining room at breakfast he certainly wasn't expecting Dempsey to pick him up by the collar and throw him against the wall accusing him of looking at his wife

"You don't need to…" Mac had spluttered for the first time really realising the force with which Dempsey hurled prisoners in the cells, no wonder they capitulated

"I need to tell you about stuff" Dempsey hissed "Brite might put a tail on you. If he questions you then you say you're being paid to watching us"

The poor waitress had called for the chef and he had come running into the dining room brandishing a frying pan and Dave witnessed to full extent of the southern drawl as Dempsey reassured him there was no problem and Harry coaxed Dempsey "Honey come back over here"

Dempsey however took the opportunity to suggest they ate after the theatre "Why that's a fabulous idea Honey" Harry drawled hooking her arm through Dempsey's as she repeatedly patted and stroked it leading him towards the exit "Sugar Pie this is a real sweet idea – the British theatre"

Wide eyed Dave puffed with surprise as Mac sat back down "blimey"

Mac stroked at his own neck "that was over stepping the mark"

"I know" Dave totally agreed "Tony will never believe it"

Mac took a few deep breaths

"Extreme"

"Extreme" they both agreed

"Do they keep that up all the time?" Dave asked

"Obviously not, well not up till now" Mac began to worry how much more he would suffer

"Awesome voices they sound just like the bible bashers on TV" Dave whispered mesmerised

Mac looked at him in staggered disbelief "for one moment there I thought you was worried about my well being" he massaged his neck again "Come on I need a beer"

"I know where the theatre is" Dave commented "and there's a pizza place not far away - we can watch out for them coming back"  
A tall thin gentleman in his 50s followed the pair out; neither Mac, Dave or the unknown observer spotted the couple leave the theatre at the interval.

* * *

"You don't have to eat hot dogs every time we get out on the streets" Harry bemoaned as they walked towards the docks next morning.

"I do, I think these guys were taught how to roll a dog by the genuine article"

"And certainly not at 10 o'clock in the morning" Harry continued

"Not that I had much opportunity for breakfast"

"I told you that place smells"

"Of bacon 'n eggs" he looked at Harry waving the sausage in front of her face "you should try one being how you're from America "

"Alabama not Coney Island "

"They have dogs there" Dempsey munched another bite "and since you've started on the peanut butter and jelly…"

Harry grimaced, she had rather hoped he wouldn't have picked up on that; she glanced down at her tiny size 8 and Dempsey took the point, swallowing he surmised "I guess they have faddy eaters in Alabama too"

"Are you criticising my diet?" she enquired unsure as to whether she should be cross or not

"A bit more red meat…" Dempsey noticed some movement across the street and he wrapped his arm across Harry's neck and around her shoulder "you need to kiss me Harry" he whispered into her ear

"Kiss you?"

"Right now" Dempsey insisted

"At this time in the morning?" she expressed her pure disbelief

He pulled her round "We need cover"

Harry read the urgency in his voice and so she reluctantly slung her arms around his neck but glared at the item in his hand. Dempsey dropped his hotdog onto the pavement "and any way it wasn't too early before breakfast" he reminded her.

Harry brought her face closer to his but avoided direct contact

"Kiss I said" he moved his face across

"I'm not kissing a hotdog" she insisted through gritted teeth keeping her mouth firmly closed; Dempsey worked his hands over her back

"You smell disgusting" Harry continued to protest through her sealed lips

"It needs to look more real" Dempsey guided her around so he could study the approaching men, he was definitely right and Harry obliged by cupping his head in her hands

"Sorry babe you're gonna have to share my hotdog" Dempsey caught her lower lip

"Really?" she winced

"Really!" his tongue teased her lips "this has got to look very kosher" he did the tiny tiny nibble she liked on her bottom lip "we're under some intense scrutiny"

Harry opened her mouth, pulled him tight against her and stuck her tongue down his throat "Will that do?" she asked coming up for breath

"They're still watching" Dempsey cupped her face and then let one hand slide down as he felt a warmth start to permeate his partners lips, she was relaxing. Her right hand ran down his back as he started to edge towards more sensitive parts of her body. She inched herself forward, pressing her body into his, enjoying the playful fighting their tongues were now participating in but as his hand caught her breast the street noises impinged themselves and Harry drew up short.

"Have they gone?"

"Not yet I think they're here for the full works" Dempsey grinned and waved across the street to acknowledge their observers

"Well we've given Brite all we need" Harry declared "and you're not coming near me until…." As she had been talking Harry had extricated herself and glanced across the road. The silence that ensued was so loud that ripples of the explosion impacted not only the SI10 staff but the passers by as well.

"Wait" Dempsey shouted forgetting his southern drawl but Harry was yards ahead and marching defiantly "it was just a bit of fun" but Harry was now climbing into a taxi.

Dempsey turned to look back at the audience but Mac and Dave had legged it in the opposite direction.

Back at the hotel Dempsey met a frosty, minus 40 frosty, reception

"That was not funny Dempsey" was the icy greeting

"Oh come on Harry they want to know if we do it and they're watching us like a hawk and all we have to say is we're doin' the role and they can't pin a thing on us"

"I'm not performing for any audience" she started to pull her clothes out of the wardrobe "and I'm certainly not performing for you"

Dempsey held his hands up "Ok, ok I'm sorry," he ran his fingers through his hair; it was a subconscious act but it was one of those things that always weakened Harry "look I know there ain't so much for you to do with this cover but I still need your help Harry" he looked her in the eye "we're partners"

"This is the 20th century" Harry protested sitting down on the bed

"In Alabama they haven't discovered the 19th one yet Princess"

"Brite is from here"

"So there's a few dinosaurs left over here too"

Harry sighed

James sat next to her "Brite's an arsehole he treats women like dirt, gets angry when he can't put his point of view across and threatens to blow people up - he has no morals despite his pretence and I don't know why he uses such crap bombs that anyone can dismantle them. I can't get under his skin Harry."

Harry placed a comforting hand on his upper arm "You need to show your bad side and maybe he will show his"

Dempsey kissed her nose and with his best southern twang suggested "I think my wife deserves an afternoon in London shopping" and then dropping the twang added "see what extra stuff you can dig up hey?"


	10. Chapter 10

_Well this is all taking a bit longer than I thought, so this is ep 5.7 and 5.8 now; lol the more feedback the more ideas you give me to add in - keep them coming_

"Where's the wife?" Brite asked with mock interest when he and Dempsey met in the hotel Foyer again prior to lunch

"Oh she's gone shopping - I'm telling you that lady knows the true meaning of American Express – the rate she spends… I've sent her on the train down to London"

Brite smiled "Well while the cats away…"

"…the mice can play" Dempsey finished

"What are you suggesting" asked Brite

"That we load a car with a bomb that will make that Freedom Clinic listen to us"

Brite couldn't see the harm in keeping his money sweet after all the yank was only here for another week and he'd promised rather a lot of thousands so he nodded his assent

"Who's your bomb maker" asked Dempsey

"Old Joe"

"Well when I was asking around in London" Brite thought he'd missed something but didn't want to show his ignorance and so allowed Dempsey to continue without interruption "I found this guy with quite a reputation"

"Oh yes?" was the cautious reply

"Apparently they make a material that you can't diffuse"

"Sounds interesting"

"You should invite him up here - put the word out" Dempsey threw out casually "he uses this explosive sheet that foxes the bomb disposal" he looked for tell tale signs of interest but could only afford one more push without appearing too keen "If one of your cars goes up you'll be playing in the real league."

* * *

Harry marched into the SI10 offices; Tony did a double take "I thought you were in Liverpool"

"We've finally made contact with one Jonathan Brite but he's lacking a past so I've come down to hunt through some old records" She moved over to the computer "what I don't get is why would a prolife campaigner threaten to blow up a car and kill who knows how many innocent people passing by"

"The greater good?" suggested Tony "brutal people need a brutal threat"

"Possibly" Harry conceded

The relatively positive commendation from Makepeace gave Tony the Dutch courage he needed "Dave said about your accent- you really take this role stuff seriously then"

"If you don't you'll get caught"

"Right down to the rings" Tony looked pointedly at Harry's left hand but subtlety was not his strong point and Harry was quick off the mark. She touched the wedding ring and explained how it was her mothers which she had had ever since her death when she was just 13. The extra information worked a treat, Tony anxious to avoid any conversation about such an ordeal took the morsel offered and backed off.

Harry read through some extra files then told Tony she intended to hang around that evening and speak to some of the clientele down here again.

* * *

"I found your bomb manufacturer" Brite informed Dempsey over the phone

"Yeh?" Dempsey waited not showing any of his hope

"He's big league"

"I heard he was good, back from a few years in Spain where it got a bit too hot if I'm not mistaken"

"To be honest I'm not so sure he's right for us - a bit out of our league"

Worried Dempsey had suggested they meet for a drink; he took two cigars out and offered one to Brite, and patted him on the back "To be honest he's the reason I came over here." he lit the cigar "the wife knows nothing of my dealings back home"

"Obviously" Brite concurred

Dempsey exhaled and took his time setting himself above Brite in standing socially and criminally but not yet intimidating him "I need a good explosive expert - it's not for big stuff but there's market for clever explosives. When I asked around I got wind of you and your penchant for wiring up cars and I was hoping you would be able to do the introductions for me" Dempsey noted Brite's skepticism

"So you're not interested in the abortion debate" Brite checked cautiously

"Hell no, the missus thinks it a great cause but as far as I'm concerned they can go screw themselves - if you pardon the pun"

Brite laughed

"I'll see you right for the introduction" Dempsey offered noting Brite was still hesitant he added "Tell you what you name the price - this guys gonna make me millions back home"

Finally Dempsey saw the rush of excitement as Brite contemplated a price and knew he'd won "So let's go get that new clinic – I'm guessing you really want the protection money but in my experience if you don't make a real bang somewhere along the line they won't keep buying in to your services."

Slowly Brite raised his glass, he hadn't realised his operation was that transparent but he wasn't going to be made look like a small amateur by a yank "I couldn't say"

* * *

Next Day

Dempsey was relieved to have Harry back; for one brief moment last night he had wondered whether it would be ok working without Harry at his side. He'd reasoned that they could still discuss cases and she would still be able to give him her brilliant insights but as he had drawn on his cigar and pondered things other realities had struck him - at best she'd be snowed under with her own work load... at worst without her minding his back he'd end up dead… So to avoid the depressing thought that they would never see each other and because he didn't like such ideas he pushed them all out of mind and knuckled back down to what he knew best - working the case.

Brite had left an invitation for Dempsey at the hotel reception.

"Seems things are moving Princess" he said in full southern flow as he pushed the letter into his back pocket.

"Spikings said Watson had been approached" Harry confirmed before she continued on "I think Brite has more going on here?"

"What makes you say that?"

"My nose tells me"

"I have the nose" Dempsey corrected her

Harry sighed "Ok" she wasn't interested in a full scale argument "I have the brains and using my brains I can't see that Brite gets enough out of pretending to blow up cars outside abortion clinics"

"He must get protection payments off them to keep his protestors away"

"It's not enough" Harry insisted

"Them places make a fortune, protection money could make him a tidy packet Brite just has to poll up at a clinic and demand dollars"

"Pounds"

"Same difference"

"This is England"

"I know - it's raining"

"But why offer the girls somewhere to live?" Harry persisted ignoring another of James' pet themes

"Makes him look good, soothes his conscious" Dempsey shrugged "I dunno"

His sullen responses goaded Harry "You still haven't told me what you really think about these clinics" she demanded

"You still haven't answered my question from the other night" he pointed out

Harry rose "I think we should join the lobby outside the clinic" she slipped her coat on "See what else we can gather on your new best friend"

Dempsey stood and made to leave "My sister had an abortion" he growled as he slung his jacket on and walked off ahead of Makepeace

"That doesn't tell me anything" Harry called out after him

"It tells me you ain't listening babe"

* * *

The tap on Macs shoulder made him jump "What do you think you're doing?" not recognising the voice Mac turned but neither did he recognise the face "Just passing by" he replied

"You've been here half hour" the tall thin gent in his 50s pointed out

"Just watching" Mac tried a second time

"Oh I know that" his voice sounded threatening "I was kind of wondering why"

Mac was about to pass the question off with a joke when he felt his collar tighten around his neck for a second time as he was lifted off the ground "You seem to be interested in someone my friend might be interested in"

"And who might that be?" Mac acted the pro he wasn't feeling

His attacker nodded towards Dempsey and Makepeaces direction

"I meant who is your friend" Mac bravely pushed

"Now that don't matter to you now does it?" Mac felt his collar tighten again "Let's just say that my friend has an interest in your friend"

Dave, feeling guilty from the stares Mac had been throwing stepped forward and with as much bravado as he could muster declared "we don't give anything away for free"

Mac stumbled as he landed back down and Dave drew the attention of their assailant who smiled menacingly "it's not to say that my friend will definitely pay but if you give me an idea..."

"It's a matter of who's who" Mac took charge again, he wasn't going to loose out to Dave "we ain't so sure that if she's really married to him"

Dave jostled for lead position "but if you come back here tomorrow with some hard cash we might be able to tell you some more"

Brites henchman looked around, Dempsey and Makepeace had made themselves scarce "Maybe they are, maybe they ain't" the assailant murmured "but they're sure screwing" He looked long and hard first at Mac then Dave "I'll be watching you" he promised "I'll find you tomorrow" and he slipped back onto the shadows.


	11. Chapter 11

As they returned to the hotel and settled at the bar Harry tied the information they'd just gathered to that she'd picked up last night.

Dempsey seemed to pay scant attention "We'll get that bomb planted tomorrow and the case will be wrapped up before the weekend"

Harry looked at him with an air of disgust "We have to explore the whole case"

"Brite is the case"

"You haven't listened - what about his Haven"

"What about it"

"The girls seem to fall off the planet - they're not making contact"

"I promised the kids another baseball session on Saturday" Dempsey continued his own train of thought and his continual ignoring of her made Harry fly off the handle

Dave and Mac had crept in and parked themselves almost out of sight.

"We have to speak to Jim, get our stories aligned" Dave panicked

"It's cool Dempsey told me remember"

"How the heck did he know?"

"I don't know, I guess he's just good" Mac surmised "but" he pointed across the bar "it don't look so good over there"

"Just tell me who's not listening now" Harry screeched before she marched upstairs to their room

"Here's to married life" Dave chinked his pint glass against Mac's in a mock toast; although they were well out of earshot their seats had been chosen specifically for the view afforded of their suspects. Merely ten minutes later Makepeace reappeared wearing her coat and carrying a small bag, both men peered through the glass of the door; a taxi pulled up and Makepeace was gone.

* * *

Makepeace checked the address on the scrap of paper that Myriam had shoved in her hand the week previous; she was in a run down dockyard area and approaching a hotel that had seen far better days.

With her hair pulled up the short skirt she had changed into in the Ladies at Lime Street Station was tight across her belly, the white leather jacket just reaching her waist and the larger than life handbag supposedly held all her worldly possessions. She opened a packet of gum, it helped with her cockney accent but also she had never forgotten Dempsey's promise that it made her invisible to the bogeyman; she pushed open the door and stepped into the next stage of her investigation.

The welcoming party shocked her and Harry cursed herself for her independence; she didn't know which role to play. Myriam was smiling "I'm so glad you decided to come" she gushed walking over to greet her

Harry kept with her plan "yeh well this had better be kosher" she chewed hard on her gum "I had to hitch my way up here" she dumped her bag down "let me tell you service stops have a different meaning to one you know"

Brite, standing making arrangements with two other men, shook his head; he'd thought for a moment he recognised the blonde but he must have been mistaken; his task already completed he left.

"What you doing here?" Harry asked Myriam "do they put you evangelists up here too?"

"Evangelists?" Myriam was perplexed

Harry realised she may have chosen the wrong word "Yeh" she carried on "them preachers that come out on the nights- they tell us they're from god almighty - one of them explained to me that if you push your cause they call you one of them"

Myriam didn't really understand "I'm just a volunteer I was sent down to save the babies - we give up two weeks of our holiday to do it" she explained happily

"Don't they pay you?" Harry made sure her accent was harsh and cockney

"Of course not we offer our services for free for the lord" Myriam smiled, adjusting her head scarf

"So who pays for all this?" Harry waved her arm around the building thinking it was probably one huge squat

Myriam shrugged "I guess some people give money - I gave my time"

"So want to stay at Haven till your baby is born?" A sternnlooking woman called over

"I've just signing off from my two week stint" Myriam explained but I'm sure they'll look after you. She gave Harry an unexpected hug – "you're my first result" she confessed "I'm so glad you decided to come" she picked up her bag and having completed the paperwork wished Harry all the best and left

Harry crossed to the desk "She" she indicated with her thumb to the departing Myriam "said you'd see me right"

"Oh we will"

"And it's free" at least, thought Harry, faking a broad London accent made a change

"Well there are things you can do to help us"

"Like what?"

"We can tell you later - lets just get you checked over then booked in and settled shall we" The smile sickened Harry she knew there was something wrong she just had no idea what it would turn out to be

* * *

Watson arrived at the prearranged meeting with some impressive tomfoolery that made explosions. He refused to explain how the material worked or what he had used it previously on. He reasoned that his reputation went ahead of him and he'd been approached on the strength of information already out there which would have to be sufficient and he most certainly would not disclose his own unique formulae or designs did they think he about to commit professional suicide

Dempsey talked about big money in the US if the car bomb worked and Brite whose only motivation was greed saw his own reflection in Watson.

Watson agreed to work on a mini to be delivered to a back street garage next morning and to have it outside the Freedom clinic by 12 noon. Brite would phone the clinic allowing a one hour warning but clearly stating that the car would explode on movement.

Watson on his part showed reticence to commit to America until there was a quarter of a million British pounds in his off shore account. Dempsey would only concede if the car went up and Brite was totally convinced which was the one and only design.

* * *

Sophie called Harry across to a side room and asked her for some details

"Jane Smith"

"Well I know that's not true" Sophie smiled encouragingly

"Well I ain't givin' you my real name"

Sophie sighed but moved on "So how old are you?"

"How old do I look?" Sophie noted that this woman didn't look over aged like many of the girls she had examined on her one evening a week she had given to the cause; she had been appalled how old some of the women reported to be in their 20s and 30s looked. This woman could be one of her own friends "twenty four?" she ventured

"So that's how old I am" Harry reasoned

"And how far gone are you?"

"How far?"

"In your pregnancy"

"How the f*#k would I know"

"Well your doctor would have said" Sophie still hadn't got to understand why these women didn't know such vital information; in her hospital where she worked daily the women really cared

"I ain't got no bleedin doctor"

"So how do you know you're pregnant?"

"Don't take much to know does it"

"Well when did you have your last period?" poor Sophie persisted

"I don't have them much" Harry said knowing that to be truth in undernourished, drug taking girls; but all the same it did make her think – she'd not paid much attention to that sort of thing - just took a pill - she must have carried on and not stopped at the end of a cycle she decided.

"Well we might have people faking it to get into the Haven" Sophie explained breaking into Harry's thoughts "so we'll do a scan and see what that shows"

"I went to the bleedin' clinic! they was going to do me on Tuesday so I dont see why you want to touch me" Harry objected as she planned her sob story on saying 'she was just looking for somewhere to stay since her pimp had thrown her out' as her reason for trying to get into the haven – phew thinking on your feet was one thing she was good at.

"Like I said its just procedure to make sure you are pregnant" the measured tones were aimed at being reassuring "and we find that most women have never seen the baby before and it helps them bond with it"

Harry resolved herself to being thrown out; well at least she had managed to establish the whereabouts of the Haven and that Brite wasn't lavishing his cash on his good deeds.

She followed the instructions drank nearly two pints of water and was now lying on the couch with Sophie running a prob across just above her pelvic bone.


	12. Chapter 12

There" Sophie said "I'll just turn the screen round so you can see"

Harry tensed

"Don't worry, just relax" Sophie carefully rotated the screen as she froze the picture "I'd say about 11 to 12 weeks" she continued in her set patter "I can see the thigh bone - let me just measure that" Sophie registered the shock "It's ok you can breath" Sophie said as she deftly decided on "just about a centimeter"

Harry released the two pints of water and had a complete out of body sensation as she heard her urine trickle down onto the floor

Sophie groaned

"I'm sorry" Harry gasped "I wasn't expecting…" the words rang with irony and she swallowed hard "can I see it again?"

"How many have you had?" Sophie asked

"How many?"

"Abortions"

Harry was propelled back into her undercover and wondered how much she'd given away in the last two surreal minutes

"Three, this was my fourth - was gonna ask them if they do discount" she laughed just about remembering the accent was needed as well as the back story.

"Have you ever seen an image before?"

"Never"

"Well it won't pick up now you're bladder is empty"

Harry was mortified "About that - I didn't do it on purpose"

Stoically Sophie said "you're not the first - look why don't I print you the picture and Muriel will show you to your room"

"Can you still do that?" Harry followed in a stunned state of disbelief she just couldn't work out how her body had performed the illusion. Was it an illusion or a fact? Could it be true was she pregnant?

How her jellied legs managed to put one foot in front of the other would remain a mystery.

"Isn't it amazing" Sophie chattered on assuming that Harry was simply bowled over by the image in her hand "I know the first time I saw a baby I thought it was magic"

.

Muriel took Harry from the reception area and showed her to her room. It was small with a bed, wardrobe and table. "This is just temporary till they can take you to the Haven." Muriel informed her coldly "there's a kettle and a packet of cup-a-soups"

Well she hadn't been expecting anything salubrious but... Harry was too dazed to say anything she meekly climbed onto the bed, barely registering the key turning in the door as Muriel left her to contemplate the revelations. She sat with her back against the bed head, her knees brought up to her chin, totally still - in shock, stunned, her body numb and chilling. For the first hour Harry was paralysed, even her thought processes ceased and her mesmerised state failed to register the mess she was in until finally a gnawing hunger broke through and she started to look around. The first discovery was that her body was stiff and she gingerly climbed off the bed and moved around the small room. She wrapped the blanket around her and decided that a paltry cup-a-soup would not only be disgusting but woefully inadequate and she regretted skipping both breakfast and most of lunch in an attempt to ward off the sickness bug.

She rubbed her belly with the palm of her hand, pregnant? That was impossible – they must have a recording on the scanner to fool anyone who volunteers to incarcerate themselves in this dive. That would be quite easy to do she was certain, a monitor and a TV could be made to look the same; the probe would have a switch to make the video play …. Easily explained!

What was not so easy to explain were the myriad of other thoughts circling in her head: the sickness, the stupid cravings, the missing period, her hormonal over reactions, the few pounds she'd put on… The circular thoughts looped continuously and fought against her rationale of fake video giving her a thumping headache.

Harry continued to pace around creating some warmth into her bones and because the nauseous and light headed feelings were threatening to engulf her she resorted to boiling the kettle and consuming what was described on the packet as minestrone soup. A modicum of warmth finally penetrated through her body

Feeling frustrated Harry banged on the locked door to no avail before looking out into the blackness from a small window. The shadows were formed from disused docks not that different from areas she and Dempsey chased low life scum around in London 'Low life scum' the phrase echoed around - She needed to know what was going on and her police instinct finally surfaced from the shock and Makepeace set about picking the lock improvising from a comb – why did they hold the girls as prisoners?

* * *

Mac and Dave pounced on Dempsey when he came back from his meet with Brite and Watson. The pair had had the forethought to object to the Americans manhandling of Mac with their own counter attack and Dempsey, knowing their tail to be currently in conference with Brite, agreed to meet in Dave's room.

"Brite's friend is onto us" Mac informed Dempsey

"Oh I know that"; he's been tailing you these past two days"

The jaw drop of Mac said it all

"You told him you were watching us" Dempsey checked

"Sure" Mac gathered himself "like you said"

"And what exactly did you tell him"

"Mac said he wasn't so sure you two were married and I said we don't give away information for free" Dave volunteered assured within himself that he'd done better than Mac "mind you you'll never do married" Dave laughed

"You think not?" asked Dempsey mischievously

"Man you're one wild card"

"You never know" Dempsey sing songed

"Well invite me to the wedding"

Dempsey stopped playing and considered the facts

Mac shoved his hands in his pockets "We need to sell him a story - but it needs to be planned out"

"What do you think our friend thinks?" Dempsey asked trying to come up with a plan

"That you and Harry are screwing" Dave repeated verbatim before blurting out "are you?"

Mac kicked Dave hard on the shin "I was only quoting" Dave protested

"Shows mine and Harrys cover is working" Dempsey grinned impishly "Unlike yours" he addressed Mac "You're supposed to be up here on company business" he paused for effect "but I'm guessing you've mutated into a PI for someone I've taken for a ride back in the States. Dempsey looked around "You got a beer?"

Dave found a four pack stashed under his bed and after a couple of slugs Dempsey continued "Keep the main crime in the States, Brite wont be able to check – you are employed by a PI from over there"

"Magnum" Dave raised his can of Carling

Dempsey groaned in despair "Ivan Dixon will do you fine"

"I can be Higgins" Mac put on his best posh voice

"You've never met Ivan Dixon" Dempsey painstakingly emphasized but the two of them were now da da ing and air guitaring the Magnum theme tune

"Try and keep the role right this time guys" Dempsey stood "I'd better go and update Harry

"She's not come back yet" his two spies informed him "Where'd she go?"

"How the hell do I know" Dempsey growled, rattled "She said something about pregnant women"

"Huh I thought this whole case was about pregnant women" Mac laughed

"Exactly" Dave opened a second can and offered a second to Dempsey "Do you think that ring she's wearing is real?"

"Sure it's real" Mac chipped in "Makepeace is class she wouldn't wear a fake ring"

"Yeh but is it an engagement ring?" Dave persisted

"Sure and a wedding ring" Dempsey opened his second can

Mac was suddenly more alert now "Do you think it was from her first marriage?"

"Dunno or her second or maybe her mothers" Dempsey read the warning signs "what does it matter?"

"I don't suppose it does really" Dave shrugged winking at Mac before changing subject and brightening up with excitement "Did you see that brunette again?"

"Which one?" Dempsey asked considering to himself that a beer with his mates was more tricky than an hour with Brite

"The one you picked up last time -she was gorgeous"

"She was" Dempsey agreed "we had coffee"

Dempsey turned the focus on to Dave "'You still dating now?"

"Sure am, say have you got any more tips?"

"Tips?" Dempsey felt worried

"Yeh - like you taught me how to pull and" Dave nudged Dempsey "how to buy her underwear"

"That's my basket empty then" Dempsey surmised but Dave didn't care he'd just thought of a far more pertinent question

"'You still seeing the same woman?"

Dempsey paused a moment as he considered any implications "Yeh" he admitted "I am"

"Bit of record for you?" Mac fished

"As you say" Dempsey replied but now he had finally recalled when he had taken Dave into the world of lingerie and what made him smile was the recollection of the subsequent discussion in the SI10 office and Harry stripping naked in the changing rooms and the rampant activity the two of them had participated in.

"Penny for them?" Mac delved again realising Dempsey was lost in his thoughts

"Hot sex" Dempsey said and slapped Dave on the back "I think I need bit more of it" he left Dave and Mac to take apart their investigation and draw a blank.


	13. Chapter 13

Outside Harry skirted along the corridor listening and watching but it seemed she was the only one out there. She had just located the stairs and descended from the third to second floor when the sound of men's voices forced her into the darkness of a nook at the back of the stairwell.

Three men were given a key each

"Rooms 7, 8 and 9" said a voice very reminiscent of Brite leaving Harry to speculate about what was going on. Each man seemed to know where he was going and Harry somehow knew she was about to get chilled right through again and as stiff as a board. She was right, next two men appeared and were given keys to room 1 and 3 and now with a 10 minute wait Brite was pacing uneasily. He ran down the stairs and Harry considered moving but the footsteps of an army put her off her tracks. The crowd of men were geeing each other on with coarse descriptions of how they would gang bang their fille and Harry concluded that she was now in a brothel.

The only room that hadn't been used was room 2; the eerie quietness told her that Brite had finally gone and so Harry took the risk. She turn the key and opened the door onto the sight of a heavily pregnant woman.

"What do you want?" the woman's resigned reluctance horrified Harry "I ain't done a woman before"

Harry eased herself in and shut the door behind her "I only want information." she appeased reassuringly

"About what?"

"This operation -what's going on?"

"Who are you?"

"Police" Harry cursed her lack of identification

"I ain't got nothing to say"

"I can help you" Harry soothed

"Where's your badge thing?"

"I'm undercover, I haven't got it with me"

"Oh yeh and my old mans the sheik of Iran"

Harry decided on a different tack "I joined today"

"Well if you have any sense you'll get out before they incarcerate you"

"They can't hold you against your will"

The woman finally laughed, an ironic helpless sort of laugh "They give you a few cheap clothes, barely enough to eat, point out that in the agreement you signed you said you would agree to help out in any way"

"And this is helping out!" Harry put her hand to her horrified mouth.

"Yeh it's our stock in trade ain't it" the woman noted the clothes worn didn't actually fit the voice but then if she was cop it would make sense she supposed

"Do they lock you up here all the time?"

"No they bring us in in some mini bus"

"Where from?"

"I dunno"

"Well how long does it take to get here?" Harry couldn't believe the women didn't try to escape

"'Bout 15 minutes"

"What's the place like?"

"Some run down hotel"

"Near the town?" didn't they look at road signs en route Harry wondered? Where was their instinct?

"No - isolated so we can't escape - too far to walk in our condition"

"What happens when your time comes?"

"I don't know, no ones got that far yet"

The handle turned on the door. Harry looked for somewhere to hide; the only option was the far side of the bed.

"Seems you got missed out darlin'" it was Brite himself addressing the official occupant. Harry tried to roll herself under the bed but knocked against the draw of the divan with a clunk giving herself away. As Brite pulled her up he studied her face long and hard.

"I got hungry you only left me a bleedin' cup a soup in my room" The pregnant prostitute looked agog at the production of the cockney accent which didn't go unnoticed by Brite, Harry continued "that ain't enough to feed two"

"Bit of an actress are we?" Brite threw her against the wall "Now do the yanky one" he demanded

"What the 'ell are you on about?"

Brite wasn't so confident and noting the doubt reappear Harry carried on "I come up here cos that woman told me god himself would look after me if I kept the little bleeder 'n I find out that you're bleedin' tighter than me pimp"

Harry had him, she knew she had him - until the other women opened the chasm "You know you should go to acting school; that was bloody brilliant"

Once again Brite had Harry pinned against the wall; Dempsey's voice rang through her head "always keep up the role"…. she hadn't - and now she was about to pay.

...

Harry had nothing but her thoughts to entertain her and they didn't make very good company. The rope burns and abrasions around her wrists caused by her failure to escape from hands roughly but too firmly tied by Brite behind her back and onto the bedstead seemed like a penance for her failures. Her lack of success in escaping frustrated Harry but she knew she would get another chance: they would have to move her. For now Harry justified things to herself; she was a good cop - her nose knew, and she had been right to follow her lead. There was more to this than a fake protection racket and the horrific tale of being held prisoner and being forced to prostitute as your contribution to being malnourished, having no privacy and less access to maternity care than they would have had on the streets of London made her sick. Dempsey should have listened!

**_DEMPSEY_** Bloody Dempsey was screwing up her inspector interview – he should have listened to her – She had even booked the interview for next week and now was not a good time to screw a case. She had referenced the French trafficking and prostitute case as one of her recent successes – oh shit she knew they would ask about her most recent experience.

Harry spent the next half hour working out how to show everything in the best light; she would mention her undercover work flushing out Brite and also undercover work that found the Haven and bamboozle the board with so much success that they wouldn't notice how her actions had also compromised things. That was thirty minutes picturing herself taking the next step to Inspector, of what in reality was pure escapism. Realism kept rising its ugly head and worming its way into her thoughts until Harry could no longer ignore the real crux of the evening and the question of her own pregnancy. The denial tactic which had earlier given her the punishing headache was blatantly the most pathetic and illogical thought process her brain had ever subjected itself to. She took a deep breath. So here she was pregnant, a prisoner and contemplating promotion – she couldn't think of anything worse.

She tried another diversion method, choosing to contemplate about poor simple Myriam quite oblivious to the truth of the matter and then the ultrasound girl whom she was forced to concede appeared to be another innocent do gooder, helping the prolife cause she so believed in. The women's naivety astounded Harry, but such women lived in a world sheltered from the likes of Brite and scum only now they were about to have their innocence shattered and their simplistic world turned upside down by the revelations flooding out tomorrow. The wave of sickness that then rippled through Harrys body launched her back into reality

* * *

Brite was busy on the phone "check our account and the transfer from that bloody yank" he yelled slamming the phone down and pacing the office floor. When the phone finally rang he snatched it up 'It's frozen'. He had known that would be the reply "It's the fuzz" he breathed furiously "we've been infiltrated" he continued to shout instructions down the phone.

* * *

**_'SICKNESS'_** Now was not the time to be pregnant - the promotion board would not be impressed. Her and James could always go for a child later. Twelve weeks max the scan had said - it would just be like a miscarriage. Put it this way: if she had never realised she was pregnant then Dempsey would have no idea - best not to say anything, he never need know.

She would need to keep eating peanut butter and jam sandwiches for a while, she was due a period, she could get something from her doctor to stop her sickness, something to settle her stomach – that would even give her reason to see a doctor. The subterfuge she was prepared to go to scared her but she had cracked this mans world, she could do the job better than most men – it was just one little thing to put her life plan back on track. **_Sexual discrimination:_** she was fighting it but a pregnant woman was one fight too far - she could picture herself standing in front of the board explaining why pregnancy was no bar to promotion and the barrage of comments being thrown forth. No it would have to be this way - it didn't take long and it was very simple at least every clinic she had visited had told her the same mantra.

Where to go? London – would anyone find out? Canterbury? No, the world was too small – word could creep out. Have it done whilst she was up here? Still too risky… Finally she decided that she would go to a Harley Street clinic; their history for discreetness was proven and she could hide the visit under the investigation and tying up loose ends.

Harry's decision didn't sit comfortably with her and she threw her body around the bed trying to dislodge her ill ease. There was nothing wrong the rationale - this was not the time, that was all. There would be other times – hadn't she said all along that sometimes accidents happened. It was the discussion that they had been having 'all along' that raised the alarm bells, she also knew what James had said all along and she doubted Dempseys' reaction if he found out. But they fell out all the time - that was them wasn't it? They were strong enough weren't they? She hoped so. Well she was the only one who knew so she would just make sure it never got out.

'What the eye doesn't see the heart can't grieve over' she repeated continually trying her hardest to believe her own mantra.


	14. Chapter 14

Spikings phoned through to the hotel "They've put a car outside" he told Dempsey

"Yeh boss, Watson was doing a mini for them"

"This is no mini" Spikings drew himself up "They have a Beemer, stolen from the owner of the Freedom Clinic…" he let his words hang, conveying his disapproval "If you've taken this off track Dempsey…."

"I left the man sweet" Dempsey protested "Watson was being delivered a car this morning and to have it wired and in place by noon"

"Well Watson is telling me he's still waiting" Spikings punched his words out "So you'd better go and do some investigating"

.

"The car is already there?" Mac repeated "I thought the plan was to dump it there for lunch time"

"Someone has brought forward the operation" Dempsey was standing in Mac's room

"Unless they're just practicing where to park before they take it Watson"

"Very amateur - draws attention to the car"

"Well it's all I can think of" Mac offered

Dave barged in "It's on the local radio saying the council either closes the Freedom clinic or the bomb is detonated at 9.00"

"What does Harry think?" Dave asked

Dempsey avoided the question "They've changed car – got the Beemer belonging to Mr Freedom Clinic

"Have you heard from Makepeace?" asked Mac perceptively

Dempsey refused to say, but that in itself was answer enough

"Shouldn't we try and find her?"

"We have to sort the bomb first" Dempsey insisted "Watson has confirmed that he still has the mock device"

"So they've used another marvelous marvel creation" Mac presumed

"Well bomb squad have dealt with them before" Dave comforted

"This one's different" Dempsey murmured low and worried

"How do you know that?" Dave questioned

"I just know - don't you know?"

Dave shrugged he didn't think he'd ever get Dempsey's nose; Harry would know Dempsey thought

Dempsey explained "Look at this way - they've backed out of their plan and now are rushing forward - why - what's spooked them - what do they know?"

"You think they have sussed us?"

"Who knows, we'll keep in role – I'm prolife – I'm off to see the plan in action – you can be seen watchin' me and we'll meet up down there" Dempsey commanded

"We should find Harry" Mac persisted

"She can take care of herself" Dempsey insisted trying to hide his frustration with her

"Didn't she come back last night?"

"No, now can we get on?"

"Why?" asked Dave before he thought not to

"How would I know?" Dempsey released his frustration "that's why women should never be cops"

"Never? Why?" Mac was confused "I know some good women cops and Harry's probably the best"

"Hormones" offered Dempsey

"Hormones?"

"Yeh - they have too many of them"

"Not Harry - she's never done that time of the month thing whilst I've been in SI10"

"Well there's a first time" Dempsey grouched whilst inwardly crediting Dave with an accurate observation, but she had been more something lately

* * *

The decisions Harry had arrived at the night before was being challenged by the very real prospects of death. 'Life is hard and then you die' that was Dempsey's line but she didn't want to die; she wanted to live and to live with James, she wanted to get married and have his babies - oh god more than anything right now. The career woman seemed to have been blown up before the detonator had been set.

Not long before the sun started to rise she had finally fallen asleep; her wrists red raw and weeping from her failed attempts to release herself. The confusion and disorientation she had felt when, not long after, Brite had pulled her from her slumber had robbed her of her chance to overpower him. Hands still behind her back Harry had kicked and ran down the stairwell until the locked doors had been too much of a barrier. Rather a pathetic attempt she had considered as in the privacy of the yard Brite had gagged Harry and forced her into the boot of the BMW 6 series car.  
"I need the thing to go off if she moves" Brite had instructed and as the old man, Joe Donnelly had packed his marvel comics around the explosive device Harry had reflected again how Dempsey had profiled Joe so accurately.

* * *

"Its rush hour traffic and the car is on the main road; it's not that close to the clinic this time" The three men were watching from the shelter of some trees, giving some cover for their conversation

"You kill more people" Dave suggested

"Unless that's not their motive" Dempsey contributed "there's something fishy Dave my nose can smell it"

"Makepeace should be here" Mac mused

Feeling increasingly riled at her independence Dempsey gave vent to his frustration "She's probably doing something clever for her inspector interview"

That was a bolt out of the blue for Mac "Harry's going for promotion?"

"She acts like the commissioner so she might as well have his job" Dempsey was not gracious in his comment

"I guess she's been sergeant long enough" Mac conceded "and what about you Dempsey?"

"I don't do the rules bit" Dempsey reminded them ruefully

"You're the best teacher I've ever seen though" Mac laughed gently "even Fry says you scare the shit out of him but you taught him loads more than the rest of us"

Dempsey was not in a receptive mood "Maybe you can all be bloody commissioners then"'

* * *

_**Dempsey **_He didn't even know he was going to be dad and suddenly Harry wanted him to know; to know that their love had created a new life. What did it matter if she was Sergeant or an Inspector when she died; she wanted to see Dempsey playing baseball with his son. The regrets were beginning to pile in thick and fast:

She had never gone and watched his baseball session last Saturday morning – how had he been with the kids? She smiled recalling the previous Christmas – he'd been great with her nephew…now with Winfield Hall in her minds eye she recalled being wide eyed and open mouthed at her fathers' proposal for increasing the income of the stately home – team building events based on raft building on the lake, shooting and riding. Freddy had been reticent to say where his ideas had come from but even then Harry had been certain they were not his own; now in the depths of the darkness of the car boot, what had started as a sneaky suspicion that Dempsey had planted the seeds rooted into full conviction.

Another regret was beginning to pin Harry down and make it more difficult to breathe in the confines of the blackness; her departing words had been just another typical row, the sort that they usually glided over, the sort where life just carried on without reference back to any altercation but it was different not ever meeting again; she didn't want her last words to be angry ones. She started a morbid fantasy as to what she would like her last words to James to be; they couldn't be too trite or sentimental… "don't worry you're right - life is hard and then you die; James Dempsey you're the most frustrating and annoying man", she was melting now "that I love with all my heart" and now disintegrating into mush "take good care of it". Or what about "Always and forever" Sentimental slush won't help anyone she reprimanded herself.

* * *

The uniformed officer approached the SI10 staff. He updated them on the area being cordoned off and cleared and also that a light aircraft had taken off with three men on board, Brite hadn't waited around to see his ultimate explosion.  
Spikings and bomb squad were both being flown up but time was of an essence and the three men stood staring at the isolated BMW.

"Well this is a crap shoot" Dempsey surmised watching Dave go inside to take a phone call

"A what?" asked Mac

"Game of chance" Dempsey explained "do we wait and see if the thing really goes up?"

"What about a controlled explosion?"

"It will all go bang which ever way" Dempsey bemoaned hopelessly "and where the hell is Makepeace"

"I'm sure it's just a domestic"

Taken aback Dempsey looked questioningly at Mac

"I know no one else thinks there's anything between you two but I know those looks you two share, me and my girlfriend…"

"She should be here, it's her job" Dempsey cut Mac off and walked down to the car.

On floor well of the back passenger seat a small cardboard box cradled a clock and a rats nest of wires.

"Still using old marvel comics" Mac observed peering in "ironic really - there's you, me and Dave and we could use superman"

Dempsey wasn't listening he was peering though every window trying to follow the two wires that actually left the box and seemed to be travelling towards the back of the car; were they feeding to the petrol tank or the boot? Dempsey pulled Mac back and asked him to look at the whole car

"83 pretty good nick" Mac began "should get a good speed"

"it slides round corners well I bet" Dempsey mellowed as he admired the car

"Sleek body shape" Mac concured and pulled a face as he studied the BMW

"what was wrong?"

"The car is heavier at the back" Mac decided "the boot must be packed full of explosives"

"I know where Harry is" Dempsey said with a clarity of knowledge and Mac felt his stomach drop into his boots. For the first time in his life Mac really got gut feeling and knew he Harry was in the boot.


	15. Chapter 15

_I have split this chapter, but put both parts up. I really wanted to get the effect of turning the page_

Harry had spent the last period of her mullings deciding that she had signed up for the risk and this was the culmination of putting your life on the line. With explosive plastics tied to her body she was now totally reliant on her partner and she was trying desperately to keep herself from falling into the pit of despair. Periodically she could feel a tear escape and slip down her cheek and she would reassure herself that Dempsey would happen by at anytime now.

Dempsey slid under the car. Nothing went to petrol tank which had been the mode of operation on previous occasions. The clock was working and cruelly told him that 5 minutes had passed by since they had last looked. He didn't think the doors were directly linked to the bomb but the possiblity of them being booby trapped was high. If the car rocked it could go off, the phonecall had warned against moving the car.

It took fifteen minutes to cut a huge circle of glass from the rear passenger door, the rotating second hand on the timer mocking their actions. Dempsey leaned in searching for clues, there was no obvious booby trapping of the door and he doubted old Joe would be capable of hidden cabling given the rats nest that was sitting just an arms reach away.

"Are you sure" double checked Mac mustering as much bravado as possible "it could blow"

Dempsey just took a deep breath, called out "Harry we're going to open the door" and prayed he was right.

The two men knelt either side of the timing device and looked at the wires leading back. Harry, already rigid, tensed every muscle in her body. She couldn't make out individual words but she listened to their voices cursing the silver duct tape that prevented her from speaking when she had so much to say.  
Gently Dempsey examined the multitude of wires, not saying anything as he processed the feeds and lines out. So close and yet so far, time ground to a halt for Harry and conversely seemed to be increasing exponentially for James.

A uniformed officer approached the car and Dempsey yelled to keep back. In turn the officer called that the instructions were to pull back and let the car explode in isolation.

Dempsey looked at Mac "you go" he instructed, Mac studied Dempsey and his own inner conscious before he stood and addressed the messenger "No can do" he called "we have an officer in the boot"

"Go" repeated Dempsey but Mac dipped back into the salon "Teach me" he requested.  
Dempsey examined Macs face, he found a balance of fear and determination and so, as he rechecked everything, he gave Mac a running commentary. The timer clicked on and both men stared long and hard willing the second hand to stop moving by their strength of mind.  
Another click prompted Mac "Cut the long wire, it's always the long wire that's what you said to me" he encouraged.  
But Dempsey had heard Makepeace cough again and his mind was replaying a hundred scenarios all at once: they were laughing, chasing, kissing, arguing, eating, on the beach, in bed, shopping, climaxing... everything all at the same time and he wanted more than memories he wanted to live his life with her

"I can't" the realisation petrified him "if I get it wrong..., I can't do that" Dempsey implored Mac "get the bomb squad"

The timer clicked again "We haven't got time" Mac tried to be cool, calm and composed despite his body trembling like an earthquake.

"I can't do it" Dempsey felt completely and utterly useless, he shook his head as he opened his soul to Mac "I've lost it"

"Why is it always the long wire?" Mac asked

"Because they have to set it last and they need not to trip anything"

"Always?"

"Every time"

"Then cut it"

Despair and desperation flooded out "I can't do it Mac" his whole body was jellified, his muscles sapped of any ability to contract

"Jim were running out of time" the desperation no longer hidden in Macs voice

"We're meant to be getting married" James told Mac looking straight into his eyes "Me and Harry" he reached out to the back seat wanting to reach through, hating the risk that forbade him the contact he craved.

The office bonus was his but Adam MacIntyre could care nothing for £50, he'd give ten times and more not to be on this situation. "Jim you've frozen" Mac looked back towards the boot and then at his mentor weighing the cost of the job, of friendship and of being able to live with decisions years later. The beads of sweat formed rivulets that trickled down his face and dripped from his nose, his cold clammy hands lifted the wire cutters out of Dempsey's hand, he put up no resistance. Mac wiped his forehead and took a deep breath "I told this guy from bomb squad that it depends on who you trust" Mac explained "and I trust you Jim"

Mac cut the wire and waited; the silence screamed and sucked their breath away. Nothing happen and neither said anything. Mac looked across at Jim who seemed still fixated on the box of tricks; he stared as well and then laughed a hysterical laugh "we did it, we're alive". Leaving Dempsey unmoved Mac stood up outside the car and waved across "We did it" he called out in a high pitched, over excited, manic way "we diffused the bloody bomb" and then he crumpled into a heap.

Spikings, arriving on scene at the opportune time, marched across despite the objecting advice of the bomb disposal team demanding they checked the situation first. He lifted the boot lid; Harry shook and shivered, blinded by the daylight and then she realised that it was Spikings not Dempsey opening the door, pulling the tape off her mouth, stroking her hair and now working on untying her hands.

"James?" she worried fearing the worst and not understanding how but knowing he would sacrifice himself for her and not wanting to know the answer because after all this whole stupid mess was her fault.

"He found you" Spikings reassured her as he looked for Dempsey noting with horror the mess his best officer was in. Dempsey and Makepeace, he suspected, had just worked their last case - what the hell was he going to do with the pair?

Everyone else crowded around Mac, his cold, clammy skin testament to the fear he had experienced and the state of shock that he was in. Dave gathered his wits; he took off his coat and put it over Mac and passed him a hip flask of whisky "Well done mate"

"It was the longer wire" Mac said, "it's always the longer wire, never forget that Dave, never forget that, the longer wire, every time the long wire, always remember" the same words kept tumbling out of his mouth.

The ambulance crew rushed forward pushing three trolleys across the square piled with blankets. Spikings guided Makepeace out of the boot, supporting her weakened body. A new wave of pain rippled across her and Harry bent double putting her hand to her stomach. "No no no" she screamed "please god no"


	16. Chapter 16

_make sure you have read the first of todays two chapters before reading this._

Still wearing nothing other than her mini skirt and zipped up leather jacket Harry looked the part of the prostitute, her face drawn, tired and stained, her body blue and her skin dull, her hair a straggled mess. As the ambulance crew lowered the trolley Spikings help her sit on it and the crew swung her around into a lying position. Harry grabbed her belly again and moaned a tortured utterance

As one medic checked vital signs Spikings was answering the questions thrown at him, name, age, known medical conditions? Spikings explained that she'd been tied up and incarcerated for some hours, he looked to Dempsey for a clue as to how long, he could read devastation emanating from his favourite cowboy and guessed Dempsey had some idea - "all night?" he suggested but Dempsey didn't even acknowledge the question he just stood and gaped.

"Let's hook her up, get a drip in" the medic in charge instructed and looking back to Spikings informed him they were taking her to the Royal.

As the doors to the ambulance closed the final words to escape were "She's bleeding pv"

.

.

The sight of Harry being closed off and taken away from him galvanised Dempsey into some sort of action and chased the departing vehicle shouting "Hey stop, wait"

"Dempsey!" Spikings' boomed

Various personnel ran forward, arms stretched out indicating the steps up to the clinic. Dempsey shrugged one off who dared touch him but did make his way, heavy hearted and slow footed, towards the reception party. His harsh dismissal of help offered served to keep a space around him which suited Dempsey, Spikings the only one who dared enter it. James felt the presence and without any acknowledgment or turning his head he asked "PV?"

"Vagina"

Dempsey stopped dead and took Spikings by the collar "If that bastard touched her he won't be alive tomorrow"

"Yes he will" Spikings said

Dempsey tightened his grip again "I'm going after him now" and turned to retrace his steps back across the plaza area.

Spikings was quick and took Dempsey by surprise with his physical onslaught; his neck tie compressing his voice box Dempsey held his hands up in surrender.

"You are going nowhere sunshine, we have an enquiry to sort out here I want to know exactly how it went wrong." The eyebrows Dempsey wondered - how did the Chief talk with his eyebrows? It wasn't as if Spikings barkings weren't without threat but when he raised his brows in expectation Dempsey had learnt it was better to be prepared. Spikings had gathered Mac and was all but frog marching the pair into a room, he pulled the door closed behind him. "Now start talking"

"What's to say - Brite got wind of the operation" Dempsey was fuming, his anger beginning to turning in on himself, he didn't need anyone to lecture him – he needed to be out there on a plane to Spain, tracking Brite before he merged into the ex pat network; the lack of extradition would be no problem…

"I want details" Spikings barked "you can start with how come DS Makepeace ended up as a human bomb"

"She said something about pregnant women" Dempsey replied belligerently

"You sent her out without backup?" every word of Spikings drove home but already wounded Dempsey spat back "Not me chief, she went out on her own accord"

"For which I hold you responsible"

"Hey that ain't fair" Dempsey already held himself responsible, but he wasn't going to be doubly burned with blame from the chief as well.

Spikings showed no remorse, he would haul Makepeace over the coals and even halt her promotion interviews if he thought she hadn't learnt the team playing rules, but none of that would he impart to Dempsey. "When did you last see her?" he drove on the questions

"Yesterday afternoon"

"So when she failed to return last night you didn't consider it necessary to inform control"

"Hell no Harry can take good care of herself"

Spikings looked to Mac "last night" he demanded

Dempsey jumped in "we sorted cover"

Spikings pounced "I thought you had cover"

"It became necessary" Dempsey changed his mind "_useful_" he carried on "to have a different cover"

Spikings raised his brow at the choice of word, certain Dempsey was withholding information "and this morning?" the eyebrows were up again

"We was thrown straight into this"

"And two of you to diffuse the bomb?" Spikings rubbed his head "bloody suicide"

Mac found his voice "I asked Jim to teach me, he let me cut the wire"

Spikings huffed to himself, his officers were covering for each other "You'd better get to the hospital" he conceded. Mac dashed out like a frightened rabbit and Spikings caught hold of Dempsey's arm

"We're getting a bit personal" Dempsey growled looking at the contact

"This whole thing is personal Dempsey" Spikings cautioned in his low, tempered warning "I want you checking in with me on the hour; if you think about a holiday in Marbaya it will be where you spend your retirement. Do you understand me?"

"Loud and clear"

"I mean it Dempsey; you messed up here big time and…"

"Don't" Dempsey exploded "you think I know." He hit the desk "How do you think I felt with Harry about to be blown up to the stars – just another day at the office" Dempsey paced around fuming; he kicked the desk "You think I didn't care, I didn't blame myself?"  
Spikings leaned in a measured manner, both hands on the desk taking his weight. The picture incensed Dempsey; he picked up a chair "You want to know what happened out there? Really want to know?" the chair hit the wall "Well I froze! The thought of **my** actions leaving **my** woman stuck in a hell hole waiting to die…." The rage burnt out and Dempsey stood shaking "I couldn't even cut the wire to save her"

"I have a contact, works at air traffic control in Spain…." Spikings started with no intention of finishing his sentence; as he left the room he turned back to face Dempsey now slumped in the chair he had righted "The Royal Liverpool – Harry needs you"

'My woman' Spikings afforded himself a small smile as he considered Harry's response.


	17. Chapter 17

_I think there are two more chapters to come, I keep writing extra words!_

Dempsey walked in with a bunch of flowers; at least a side room afforded some privacy.

"This the only bed they had free?" he asked looking back at the ward he'd just passed through "only there seems to be a load of pregnant women out there"

He noted the drip and the hospital issue gown "You're looking like a queen" he lied cheerfully

Makepeace smiled weakly "I'm sorry" she began

"Hey, we'll get the bastard" Dempsey put the flowers down "Mad Gordon is a little mad but he'll get over it soon enough" he looked out of the window "Where ever he's flown too, I'll get Brite" Dempsey continued pacing around and Harry waited with dread until he summoned up enough courage to address his first issue "Did that bastard touch you? I asked the nurse if they'd done a rape test..."

The delivery from left field stunned her "He knew I was a cop, he wouldn't do that" she reeled, wondering what he imagined was going on

"The ambulance... They said you were bleeding"

Harry crumpled and cried "I'm so sorry James"

"It's ok, it's ok" Dempsey had never felt more in the dark "He didn't touch you – that's good" and then it dawned on him that others might have "If anyone, I mean anyone..."

"No one..." she faltered trying to reason why he thought she'd been raped but it wasn't coming to her "If I hadn't of gone off..." She looked to him "this mess... it's all my fault"

"Hey, you're alive and so am I Princess, we live to fight another day." He couldn't make head nor tail of her devastation "You'll be fighting fit in no time and back out there... even doing those Inspector exams..." it cost him a lot to say that and she knew it. Such generosity from him only drove her to a deeper despair; promoting more tears and yet more tear filled apologies that never addressed the point "If only I had….. I shouldn't of….. I wish I'd never….. please forgive me…. "

Dempsey stood in a pool of confusion "what are you trying telling me Harry?" he ran his fingers through his hair trying to guess at anything she could have done that would leave her in this mess "So Brite got away, but his operation has been closed down and we'll be waiting for him"

His words brokered no comfort and Harry hung her head in despair knowing that he had no idea of the sucker punch she was about to deliver "They put me here because I was pregnant"

"Was?" Dempsey pounced on the past tense. He looked at her, scanning the tears, hunched shoulders and added up the facts as he knew them and then walked out. With one crushing word his world had just collapsed around him but he was determined to be out of sight before the blackness closed in and the vitriol flowed out.

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Harry scrambled out of bed unable to follow past the door, restricted by the drip she called out "you don't understand"

Dempsey turned back to look at her "Oh I think I do, you exerted your rights at the Freedom Clinic and..."

The ward of onlookers watched on as she buried her face in her hands and sobbed "No James - you haven't listened"

Dempsey walked on paying no attention he bumped into someone pushing a large cumbersome trolley through the ward doors "Hey watch it" he protested angrily

"Easier for you than me" the radiographer scolded

"What the hell is that?"

"It's our state of the art portable ultrasound"

"You call that portable"

"When it's important the mother doesn't move..." the radiographer stared at Makepeace supported by the door frame "Christ you're meant to be in bed" she left the machine blocking the doorway and launched forward. Her level of concern worried Dempsey – he might of had just wished Harry dead but he didn't actually mean for it to happen. He watched, then walked back to the door way.

"Excuse me" the woman abruptly leaned across to push the door shut in front of his face

A plaintive "James" escaped Harry's lips

Hating it when she was landed into the middle of 'a domestic' the radiographer checked "Do you want him here?"

Harry nodded her assent and feeling a little sheepish and more than a little confused Dempsey slipped back into the room. Outside the hubub of noise resumed, the radiographer pushed the machine through "As soon as the doctor get's here we'll do a scan" she said and promptly escaped.

"What's going on Harry?" Dempsey asked trying to muster control

She shrugged again

"Talk to me"

"I said I'm sorry, I can't say anything else"

"Sorry about what? This? I don't even know what this is?" he threw his shoulders bck

Harry took a deep breath; James was across the room and now avoiding eye contact by looking out of the window

"I went to check in at the hostel; you didn't… well that doesn't matter"

"I didn't listen; you don't need to rub it in" at least guilt kept Dempsey subdued

"I'm not; it's just hard…"

"You went to the hostel…" he led her to continue, whether he wanted to know or not he definitely needed to know.

"Down by the docks there's an old hotel – Damp, dark and rank – I walked in and Brite was there but he didn't recognize me, he left and this sweet girl insisted that I had a scan to prove I was pregnant; I couldn't back out…"

"You faked pregnancy..."

"Please James" she cut him off "She printed me this picture of our baby and I was taken upstairs and locked in a room"

"How did you end up in the boot? Really pregnant?" the two questions tripped over themselves as they left his lips.

Harry took the only question she could deal with right now "By the time I picked the lock it was night, I stumbled upon Brite running a whore house full of pregnant women incarcerated against their will. He was selling their bodies and giving them nothing in return; I spoke to one of the women – that was when Brite found me and the rest, as they say, is history"

"Did you know?" the facts did register with Dempsey but he could care nothing for them right now.

Harry knew the question he was addressing "No" she forced herself to continue "I even planned my little speech as to why I was there and then she turned the screen round and said I was 12 weeks pregnant" Harry burst into tears but he still wasn't ready to comfort her; his hand ran back through his hair and Harry watched his discomfort. She tried a feeble nugget of a laugh "at least I'm not going crazy – liking peanut butter and jam"

"And now?" Dempsey asked ignoring her attempt

"It must have started in the boot – the bleeding" she looked straight into his eyes trying to understand his reaction and she wished he'd never known. The recriminations flowed again "keeping the role – I didn't do it Dempsey and now I've killed our baby"

Finally, but not willfully, she hit a different raw nerve and James moved across taking both of her hands in his "No Harry, you didn't do it Brite did; he bound you up, he strapped explosives on you, he put you in car" he shook her trying to stop her rocking "It wasn't you" he cupped her face forcing her to look back at him "we all made mistakes on this one; me, Mac" he sighed with regret of his failures and also for his next word "you" but no one got anywhere without going for it and living "We blame the scum Harry, we always blame the scum" he kissed her forehead "you know that babe, you just have to believe it"

"Like you do?" she snuffled her challenge

Dempsey shook his head "better than I do Princess"

Her earlier words filtered through now "A picture? Where?"

"I don't know, it got lost" she pushed her hair back and hid her face "could you look for it? James?" she sobbed "I don't even have the picture" Dempsey knew he'd spend all day looking for the picture

Dempsey's hand reached up and tentatively touched her cheek; Harry placed her hand over his holding his touch. She took a deep breath "When I was 13, maybe 14 we had a maid" she stopped to recall her name "Rosie..." followed by a moment of silent respect "Rosie was only about 16 when she came from Ireland and at 17 she was pregnant but back then her priest forbade an abortion and she took one of the hunting rifles…."

Dempsey stroked back Harry's hair; acknowledging, understanding a little of what shaped her and just as softly he told her how he had taken his sister to the clinic, how hard she had found it afterwards – every time she saw a baby and now with a fantastic new husband, who just happened to be infertile, the struggle they were having in adopting a baby. "It's not black and white is it?" Harry whispered "and it's sure not easy" Dempsey concurred.

The radiographer pushed the door open with measured caution and breathed in the calmer atmosphere "Doctor Bridgland is here now" she announced.

Dempsey sprang up and the Doctor shook first his and then Harrys hand. "I understand that you are approximately 12 weeks pregnant" he began addressing Harry; she nearly jumped in with the verb tense correction 'was' but doctor Bridgland was still speaking "I've read your file - the dehydration and the extreme shock of the past 24 hours can cause the body to abort spontaneously"

"Abort?" the word keyed Dempsey up

"Miscarry" the doctor rephrased "but sometimes you can get a bit of bleeding and still keep the baby and so we're going to do the scan now" The doctor noted the hope in Dempsey's face and addressed him "If there is no heart beat we'll take her to theatre and do a D&C" the hope had melded into confusion "Scrap the womb clean – then in 6 weeks you can try again"

Doctor Bridgland knew that however much he tried to prepare couples like this for disappointment they always clung onto hope; James sat on a chair holding Harry's hand, both were doing just that. Dempsey put on the big brave act "Well Princess seems we can do lots of tryin'" he squeezed her hand "I like tryin'" and Harry dutifully smiled, appreciative of his effort even if the idea didn't appeal right now.

Dempsey watched the probe hover over her lower belly, that a life might be inside there mystified him, let alone one that he had a part in. Now he wondered if the god he prayed to at times like this kept an account, after all he'd already had two favours this morning. The words of the medical staff floated over his head but he noticed that now the woman was pressing harder and indenting Harry's skin; he turned to look at the screen but for all he knew it could be a mistuned tv ariel – the black and white fuzz looked just that: fuzz.

Dr Bridgland pointed to the screen and in response the probe angle was changed and changed again, if Dempsey felt tense enough to explode poor Harry, currently flat on her back felt like she was back in the car boot waiting for the bomb to detonate. Her only connection with the screen was through James' hand and right now he was gripping her so hard she thought her knuckles would crush into each other.


	18. Chapter 18

Her multidue of regrets formed another sunami and Harry felt herself drowning again; she couldn't hold back the tears. With his thumb James gently wiped each eye dry but that didn't help at all.

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Spikings had a headache, it was more of a predicent problem than anything else but his head was also beginning to resonate with a dull thud. A minibus load of pregnant women had been delivered to Freedom Clinic, and according to the local constabulary none seemed to make any coherent sense. He pushed opened the door where a gaggle of women were all arguing amongst each other. "My name is Chief Superintendant Spikings from a London undercover unit" he announced boldly and with authority

"See I was bleedin' right" A loud voice broke above the others "the posh bitch was a cop"

"You" Spikings beckoned; and the woman from room two the previous night became the spokeswoman

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Dempsey loathed his position of powerlessness, he was very used to being in control and right now he could do nothing; Harry had never felt so helpless in her life, well apart from when her mother had died.

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Spikings glared at his own watch; the o'clock had come and gone and Dempsey had remained stubbornly silent. Spikings cursed under his breath; the Commissioner would hang them all out to dry and if Dempsey had followed Brite to Spain it was going to be hard to contain. He put the phone call into the airports out of Dempseys best interest, muttering that he was a bloody fool and not quite sure if that atribute was directed to Dempsey or himself.

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Appearing oblivious to the waiting tension the doctor studied the screen "That's one nice steady heartbeat" he pronounced.

The silence stung the air, the pregnant pause waiting for delivery, the truth to sink in "The baby's alive?" Dempsey sounded very unsure and more than a little choked as he sought clarification

"Looks like a fine healthy foetus just at the end of the first trimester to me" Dr Bridgland smiled "now I'm going to leave you with Jackie here and she can arrange Harriet and the machine so you can see the little blighter a bit better" Finally James had realized how tight he had squeezed Harrys hand and now he was massaging life back as Harry used her other to wipe away the trail of tears still hanging on to her cheeks. Secretly happy but displaying nothing the obstetrician spoke to Harry "I need you to bed rest until any residual bleeding has stopped and take it easy for a week after that" he turned from directing Harry to Dempsey "You take care of her". Harry groaned.

"Hey we can still do lot's tryin'?" Dempsey thought to check as Dr Bridgland made to leave; the doctor laughed "As soon as she's back on her feet you can sweep her off them again"

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Mac had stubbornly stuck to the story that Dempsey was training him and drawn a warning from Spikings that Dempsey had plenty of bad and dangerous traits that were not recommended. Mac immediately displayed several of them as he told his boss that "Dempsey was the best cop he'd ever worked with" and that "he was proud to have learnt so much from him"

"Sunshine" had been the name Spikings had applied to him and Mac knew that was not a term of endearment but the commission hadn't seemed to Mac as indeterminate as Spikings had implied when he'd been instructed "to find the lone ranger and bring him back to the ranch"

Mac headed off to the one and only obvious place he thought to find Jim, with Harry. He followed the instructions given by the hospital reception to the second building and ward on the third floor. It was as he exited the lift that Mac caught sight of Dempsey starting to run down the stairs. Although the head start wasn't that much Mac hesitated as to checking in on Harry, but deciding Spikings was not currently the man to mess with, he started after Dempsey.

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Watson and Tony were Spikings redeemers, putting together a crime scenario that exposed Brite as motivated by greed rather than principles and when combined with the story extracted from the women painted the full picture of a monster. At least he had something to tell the press and with a busload of pregnant women all vying to sell their story the press forgot the woman in the boot…

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Outside Mac stood and scanned the area cursing his own hesitation until he spotted a Dempsey like leap over a barrier onto the main street.

"Jim" he called out as he started to run "Jim"

Dempsey either failed to hear or ignored him but Mac gained ground whilst Dempsey searched up and down the street until his eyes alighted on his target. Dempsey turned left and Mac keeping him in view, if not in shouting distance, followed him into the The Kings Head.

So soon after opening the bar was empty but a jubilant Dempsey insisted on the bartender joining him with a double. Mac saw the spirit being knocked back and hesitated at the door uncertain of the news he was approaching but Dempsey finally noticed him and cheerily invited him in ordering the same again.

This time the bartender put his own drink on the back bar and suggested the two gents try scotch on the rocks but his customer was now otherwise occupied. Dempsey pulled the small wodge of photos he'd somehow persuaded the lovely Radiographer Jackie to print off; despite the rules she usually strictly adhered to he had charmed 6 photos from her; with her patient blinking to try and keep herself awake Jackie had persuaded Dempsey that it was time he unleashed the good news on the world and let his wife (he hadn't corrected that) rest. Harry had murmured a thank you and dozed off instantaneously with a gentle smile resting over her face; Jackie had coughed and nudged James as he pocketed the scan print outs, resorting to verbally insisting that he leave his wife two pictures to look at when she woke.

With four images in his hands Mac had no idea what he was being forced to look at in close quarters other than a hyper excited Dempsey was exhorting him to look at the hands here and the foot there and because you can see the thigh bone that's how they know it's 12 weeks.

Seeking air to breathe Mac stood back "Jim" he exhaled long and slow "What on earth are you on about"

Dempsey slapped Mac on the back "That's my kid" he raised his refilled glass "I'm gonna be a dad"

Mac looked around the pub not sure if he was the object of a wind up but the barman smiled knowingly "we get them all time" he explained "being just round the corner from the maternity wing"

"So this is a baby?" Mac checked, the bartender nodded "This ain't just any baby" Dempsey objected this is the next Yogi Berra for the New York Yankees"

"What if it's a girl"

"She'll be like her mum and break all the moulds 'n still be the best Yankee catcher of the next century" Dempsey boasted proudly

Mac grinned and raised his own glass "To the sprogg"

Dempsey had never heard the term "I'm guessing that's good" he grinned back chinking glasses and talking a hefty swig. With a couple of pints as chasers the two men sat down and Dempsey gave a random, disjointed account of his partners story of the last 36 hours. With the patience of a saint in between copious shots and beers Mac pieced Dempsey's excited ramblings into a cohereant story. Never in all his explanations did Dempsey stop looking, turning, touching the scans held tight in his clutch; indeed his random story telling was liberally interspersed by phrases such as "you could see the heart beat on this one" "the head gets smaller", "the eyes don't open yet" "did you see the foot" "the fingers".

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Harry was fingering the two photos she found placed next to her pillow. She was crying again but these were genuine tears of joy. Liked Dempsey she touched and stroked the pictures but she was talking to 'baby' telling it that she was proud to be its mum. She told the tiny image that 'your dad will be the best dad' that she knew 'he will spoil you rotten' and she confided in that tiny mass of cells that she loved it's dad to bits.

Finally she felt hunger pangs and as she sat sipping hospital soup that seemed no better than the stuff of 24 hours earlier she turned the images in circles wondering if she was looking at their son or daughter.

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The pub closed at 3pm and two rather drunk officers appeared in front of Spikings who having finally managed to rehome the pregnant women and round up Brites minions that he hadn't bothered to protect was about to make his way to the Royal and check on the one detective he cared about at present. Spikings looked at his watch "Its gone 3 o'clock" he growled taking in their insobriety

"Sure boss" Dempsey grinned "you said report in on the hour"

"There's the small matter of the missing hours" Spikings glared "I take it you did you go and see Harry" he checked somewhat cautiously "or is this just the heroes of the hour over doing it?"

"Oh I saw Harry alright" Dempsey slurred, swaying a little as he stood squarely in front of Spikings "Harry says something about you're the godfather" he paused trying to remember "an offer you can't refuse"

Spikings wasn't great on films but it had been on TV at Christmas "Didn't he get shot in the back?"

"Yeh that's the one" Dempsey patted Spikings on the shoulder "so that makes us the family"

Spikings studied the side kick, Mac feeling the weight of his stare defended himself "I did what you asked Guv"

"You did all I asked and more Mac" Spikings began dryly "I never mentioned for you to get yourselves plastered"

"Chief don't blame Mac – we were celebrating"

"Trust me you won't be celebrating in a moment" Spikings threatened but Dempsey, still grinning like a gibbon, was emptying one pocket after another until he hit upon success and waved the paper from his jacket "It's ok the baby survived" he announced "Harry's got to rest up and I've got to look after her, the doc said"

Spikings lifted one of the scans out of Dempsey's hands, and listened to the excited gibberish spilling out of Dempsey, ably abetted by Mac. If he had known the film better he would have fully identified with the godfather **"I have a sentimental weakness for my children and I spoil them as you can see. They talk when they should listen."**


	19. Chapter 19

**Post Script**

Spikings' one and only question when he slipped into the sideroom was probably unnecessary given that Harry was fixated on one of the black and white print outs which she passed up to him with a smile. Spikings studied it with equal amazement as he had with the four Dempsey had thrust into his hands half an hour earlier; how anybody could say any of those blobs were body parts was beyond the leap of faith he was able to make. Looking up he directed his question "Is this what you want?"

Harry looked straight into Gordon Spikings eyes; she recalled all her previous contemplations, fast forwarding through the many hours of soul searching and nodded "Yes Sir it is"

"Only there are other options you know"

She nodded again in acknowledgement, there were many arguments she could bring forth but instead she accepted the scan back from her boss "I wonder if it will be a boy or girl?" she mused

"Seems that whether it is boy or girl it's going to play for America" Spikings smiled "and as for which of those it will be no doubt there will be more bets back at the factory."

Harry rolled her eyes

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Spikings idea of stretchering her onto a helicopter met with much indignant protest and she brokered a compromise of another day in hospital and a car journey. "Gordon" she began but Spikings registered the threat mixed in with the familiarity "when I'm back at work I won't need _protecting_"

Spikings was forced to consider that life only ever seemed to become more complex and his job more impossible by the day but he doubted that he would ever truly rue his decision to put the two together.

* * *

Dempsey swung into the interview room at the scheduled time of Sergeant Makepeace's appearance before the promotion board. The high ranking officers were making use of their freetime to indulge in a measure of the amber liquid and some exchanges about 'women unable to cut the mustard' and 'how they were designed for the family way'.

Seriously riled by the derision he'd over heard Dempsey had drawn his magnum and now stood with feet apart, both hands gripping the gun ready to fire as he informed the epauletted men "You have no idea"

The American accent labelled him immediately and the portly officer on the right spoke "Lieutenant (spoken the english way) Dempsey I suggest..."

Hugely embarrased by his innate display of protection for Harry Dempsey holstered his gun "I came here to support my partners application" he began, bluffing his bravado "but it seems that a load of bigots would never of given her the promotion she deserves anyway" he turned and started to leave.

"Lieutenant"

Dempsey walked on

"If you leave this room you will be charged with insubordination" the threat followed him and Dempsey swung round

"Oh yeh and what you were saying wasn't?"

"It would seem we have justification"

"you will never have any justification to hold back a damn fine officer" Dempsey paced forward "she has brains more than you three put together, she can think a case through and find every little piece that don't add up" his eyes pushed out of their sockets as he drove home his point "and she aint scared, not like most guys - she fires her piece"

"second only to you" was a very dry retort

"she's put her life on the line more times than..."

"...we've had a lot of hot dinners?"

"I can see" Dempsey bit back knowing he shouldn't taken the bait "and she keeps your damn rules"

"But as a mother will she continue to put her life on the line?" the short pompous balding chief questioned

"As a father do you?" Dempsey countered "or ain't you ever done that?"

The overseeing central and thus far silent figure finally spoke "I think it best you leave"

"If you don't give her this promotion you're making a big mistake" Dempsey threatened

The message was levelled and direct, without the antagonism expressed by either of the men to the sides "Thank you for expressing your support"

Dempsey took his cue; he hadn't left the building before the phone in Spikings office was ringing.

""

"Did he fire it?"

""

"Unorthodox is the word I'd choose"

""

"He has a point"

""

"Well no not in that way"

""

"She is a damn fine officer"

""

"Sex has nothing to do with it"

""

"Well not in my experience. Sergeant Makepeace deserved her rapid promotion then and is ready for this now."

""

"I don't know" exasparated Spikings put down the phone and poured himself a generous serving of the famous grouse. "Bloody Cowboy" he swore and then as the warmth hit the back of his throat he burst out laughing at the image of Dempsey gun drawn aiming at the pompous twats that made up the promotion board. His laughter settled into a broad smirk as he anticipated the story leaking back to Harry - boy would he like to be a fly on the wall to that showdown.

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**Post Post Script: Two weeks later **_(now this bit I had written years ago and when I started with chapter 1 I thought this would be about chapter 8 or 9 – thanks to all your feedback the story grew, hope you enjoyed it. I tried to keep both sides of the abortion issues fair, I trust I didn't upset anyone; I have never had to make any tough choices although I have had my share of threatened miscarriages and waited for the scan….)_

Spikings had promised to stand a round in celebration of the guilty verdict just passed on William Stevens. The SI10 team had put in around 800 man hours to secure the conviction and this would be a major player off the streets for a good few years.

Most of the team had only arrived at court to hear the verdict quite late in the afternoon. The judge had been close to sending the jury to a hotel overnight but then the message had come through that a majority verdict had been reached. Spikings had had Dempsey and Makepeace there through out the trial; not that either had appreciated it. Dempsey wanted to be out 'doin' the leg work' instead of stuck in court for 4 days and Makepeace complained that this was exactly the overprotective stance she objected too. As subtly as he thought possible Spikings had tried to keep them a low profile in the office whilst everyone got used to the idea - that had been his reasoning behind the court appearances although the secondary effect of keeping Makepeace off the street was rather advantageous. In truth he still had no idea how to work the dynamic duo.

As they walked down the steps outside the Old Bailey Spikings informed everyone that work was over for the day and suggested the Bricklayers arms around the corner. Lacey running down the steps at an opportune time overheard, he slowed to walk with Spikings. "You have a result then in SI10 that made it to the courtroom" he sneered sarcastically

"SI10 have a high success rate Superintendent Lacey" Spikings seethed back

"Murder squad don't have to go round killing people to get results"

Spikings declined to rise to the antagonistic remark "Excuse me I have a round of drinks to buy"

"Drunken gunho Yanks and toffs" Lacey was derisive

"May be I'll buy two rounds" Spikings responded trying to contain his rage

So a group of 8 guys piled into the smoking room of the Bricklayers Arms, pulled a couple of tables together in front of the bench seat under the window and arranged a few more chairs around the tables to give enough seating.

"Did Spikings say work was over for the day?" Dempsey asked Chas

"That's what I heard"

Dempsey grinned "So this isn't work then?"

Chas couldn't quite see the point Dempsey was making "This is a drink in between work and home I guess"

The conversation with Lacey had held Spikings back, now he entered the pub. Looking into the lounge then to his right into the smoking bar he saw his lot chatting and laughing together. Spikings felt benevolent; they were good guys, happy, hard working and always ready to go the extra mile (unlike other teams he thought). He frowned, 8 guys - where was Harry?

Spikings took the orders from the circles of men, pints or doubles, he looked back at Dempsey "Better add a Britvic orange I guess" Spikings smiled, and he gave Dempsey a nod that no one else noticed, this godfather was going to look after his godchild right from the womb.

The barman had brought the drinks over before Harry made her way back from the Ladies. She caught Dempsey's eye and he inched himself sideways a little along the bench seat indicating a space next to him. She eased her self past a couple of guys "Hey Harry you won't be able to do that much longer" She automatically touched her belly that quite suddenly had just begun to show it's baby bump. "Well I've seen bigger beer bellies in CID" she countered and squeezed herself next to Dempsey.

She could feel all eyes on her, but none were looking directly, each guy trying to observe this new phenomenon of Dempsey and Makepeace. She picked up her glass and raising it to the air toasted 'work's over'.

That was exactly it, this was no longer work time but social and Dempsey found himself keen to show his colleagues the love of his life. On the all too brief occasion of Monday morning and scant flying visits to pick up paper work that Harry had been in the SI10 offices they had continued to be professional, not that he expected it to be any different, but there just hadn't been the chance to demonstrate his status with Harry to the guys. May be it was pride, may be staking a claim, but he had been waiting for such an opportunity. Dempsey's left arm reached around Harry's shoulder and he pulled her into himself. She didn't look at him but a different smile played over her face and she happily obliged by resting her weight into Dempsey. There wasn't a single member of the team that didn't warm to the sight.

Back at the SI10 office, whilst Harry was resting, Dempsey had taken a lot of stick but it seemed to have settled and been absorbed into what was normal. Dempsey and Makepeace always had been an item; this was just an extension of that and right now it seemed so very natural to Dempsey to have his arm around Harry, holding her. She spoke to Spikings opposite then Watson across and to her left before raising her glass to sip her orange juice. As she put it back down she glanced up at Dempsey and raised her left arm up to hold hands with the arm holding her so close.

The crowd were comfortable together, laughing and teasing when the door opened again and Lacey walked in with 3 of his men. He ordered drinks and casually looked to Spikings.

Spikings knew it was a deliberate co-incidence "we meet again superintendent" he observed determined not to let Lacey dominate or control the encounter

"It would seem so" Lacey mocked as he scanned the noisy crowd. DI Greenwood noted Harry and James intimacy and whispered into Lacey's ear. Lacey had missed it but he looked back and stared in disbelief.

The atmosphere had become infected as soon as the murder squad had entered the room and now Chas noticed Lacey's stare. Dempsey was in an intense debate with Dave over cars and Harry was looking to her left and listening to Fry but physically they were very much a couple, Harry's arm raised so her fingers could interlock with Dempsey; their separate conversations not stopping their fingers playing gently with each other. Chas tried to break into Dave and Dempsey's intense debate but failed so he turned to Harry. She glanced up and caught Lacey's eye and automatically ducked out of Dempsey's embrace, letting go of his hand. Lacey noticed the guilty movement and turned back to the bar and spoke with DI Greenwood.

Harry's movement broke into Dempsey's conversation and he turned to her

"Lacey" she explained to his questioning eyes

Dempsey smiled "My friend Lacey, did you invite him Chief?"

Spikings looked back over at the bar "Seems murder squad are imitating our team building exercise" he said deliberately loudly

Silent so far the other two of Lacey's party spoke up

"Let's get a WPC so we can have a group cuddle" the first mocked

"Not sure if it's the whole group who get the cuddle" both were very deliberate in their provocation.

Dempsey stood; Harry tried desperately to pull him down

"Dempsey!" Spikings warned in a low growl but Dempsey ignored both. Spikings rubbed his hand over his head "Oh Hell" escaped his lips

Dempsey stepped sideways through the tables and chairs and made his way to the bar. He opened his wallet and ordered two whiskys. The barman looked nervous, this pub wasn't used to trouble from gangs and he wondered if he should be calling the police, it looked as if it might kick off here.

Dempsey took the whisky and walked up to Lacey, knocking DI Greenwood out of the way

"Bloody hell, O bloody hell" Spikings murmured

"Superintendent Lacey" Dempsey put the glass down in front of him and everyone waited with baited breath for the sardonic remark to come next "I'm gonna be a dad have this on me to celebrate"

Lacey was winded, he had no where to go, no retort. In his mind he'd started to plan a report to the commissioner about inappropriate staff relationships but he'd obviously missed the boat. His side kicks watched as Lacey looked at Dempsey then over to Harry and back to Dempsey. He stared into Dempsey's still, stable gaze and the two pairs of eyes took part in the most immobile dual in history. It was Lacey who gave up, he lifted his glass, knocked the whisky back in one then nodding to his 3 companions the 4 of them walked out of the bar together.

"Don't go drinking and driving Sir" Dempsey called out after them

Spikings rubbed his head "Christ" hoping against the odds that Lacey had been out of earshot by the time Dempsey had said that.


End file.
